Gone Country
by Danny'sGirlSG1
Summary: The world of SG-1 set to the background of a small country town. AU fic, Daniel/Vala, Cam/Carolyn
1. Morning Bickering

**Title**: Gone Country  
**Author:** Pip (dannysgirlsg1)  
**Summary**: The world of SG-1 set to the background of a small country town.  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Spoilers/Warnings**: Ummm, well - there's lots of drinking and smoking, and the occasional swearing going on. I mean, I am portraying them all as rednecks, and well - that's what rednecks do. Other than that, there really shouldn't be anything. It's obviously AU. Ships include Daniel/Vala and Cam/Carolyn.

**A/N: **So apparently I am the queen of AUs, because I have yet another one in the works here. This one was inspired by a mental image I got of Daniel with a shot gun. Told my good friend, dvshipper, and we got to work spinnin' a tale of SG-1 gettin' in some good ol' redneck fun. And that's how this all came about.

Hope you enjoy it!

--

**Morning Bickering**

Bright yellow beams of sunlight shined through the large window over the kitchen sink, casting the room in the cheery light of morning.

Two men sat at kitchen table, both busying themselves with their own small tasks as they argued comfortably with each other.

"I'm tellin' ya, man..." Cameron Mitchell drawled in his fairly heavy southern accent, hands toying with a part to his '62 Mustang. He picked up the screw driver off the table, and started twisting at the metal in his other hand. Blue eyes came up. "He's not makin' it."

Jack O'Neill didn't even look away from the paper he was reading. "He'll be here." He said after swallowing down a mouthful of scalding coffee. Placing the white mug on the worn, creeky table, he turned a page.

Shaking his head, Cam turned his attention back to the part. "A five a.m. turn in says otherwise..."

"Doesn't matter what time he came walking-"

"More like staggering." Cam snorted.

Jack flicked him a minute glare. "In this morning." He continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "He knows he's got work to do, and that mean's he'll be here, come hell or high water."

Laughing again, Cam continued to fiddle with his part. "Ain't hearin' any 'hangover' in them 'h' words." Placing the stuff in his hands on the rag on the table in front of him, he leaned in closer to Jack with a seemingly knowing grin. "He came home this morning lit brighter than the town Christmas tree. He's not makin'-"

The thump of heavy footsteps on the porch leading up to the screen door had Cam stopping mid-sentence and looking up. He flopped back in his chair, disgruntled look on his face, as a slow moving figure yanked open the door and trudged inside.

Jack cleared his throat, tossing a smug smile to Cameron, before smiling sweetly at the haggard looking man now standing at the counter. "Mornin' Daniel!"

An absent hand waved his direction as Daniel busied himself with making a cup of coffee. It was obvious he was doing it all on autopilot, seeing as the dark blue baseball cap he had on was pulled down so low, it was a wonder he could see at all.

Finished with getting his coffee, Daniel brought the edge to his lips and took a deep sip. It was hot, almost painfully, but that was what he was going for. He turned around slowly, cup still to his lips, and took the few agonizing steps to the chair opposite Jack.

"Rough night?" Jack asked cheerily, voice just as loud as before. Daniel moaned, practically throwing his cup onto the table before throwing himself into the chair. He lifted up his head so he could try and glare at Jack past the brim of his hat.

"Kiss my ass." He mumbled before dropping his head into the crook of his right elbow, propped up on the table. The distinct sound of a poorly suppressed snicker had all but his middle finger go down on his right hand, directed towards the laugh's owner to his left.

It only made Cam laugh harder. "Touchy this morning, ain't we?" He sipped at his own coffee, smiling as Daniel tried to burrow deeper into his arm. "Maybe you had one tequila too many?"

Half-lidded blue eyes came into view as Daniel lifted his head again, this time the glare directed at Cam. "Or maybe..." He slouched down in his chair and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. The open pack came to his mouth, and Daniel pulled one out with his lips. Dropping the box on the table, he fished his lighter out of the same pocket, and cupped his free hand around the flame as he brought it to the end of the cigarette. He puffed quickly.

"It's an annoying little prick called Cameron." Daniel muttered around the cigarette after exhaling smoke. Cam just grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, pulling the cigarette out with his index and middle fingers and dropping his head again.

"And how the hell do you know it was tequila at all?" He mumbled. It was followed by a yelp as a hand connected with the back of his head. "Hey!" Daniel shot up, glaring at the newest addition to the kitchen.

She scowled at him from the counter. "What've I told you about smokin' in my kitchen?"

Daniel met her glare with an uncaring, bleary gaze. "This ain't your kitchen, Janet."

"It is when I'm makin' breakfast in it." Janet fired back, turning to the stove where she'd already had everything set out. She didn't need to see Daniel to know he rolled his eyes in response.

Taking another drag, Daniel shot a look at Jack. "What's she doin' here?"

Jack sipped from his coffee cup, looking right at Daniel over the rim. "Didn't she just say she's makin' breakfast?"

Again, blue eyes rolled. "I mean _why_ is she here this early in the morning?"

"I'm thinkin' that has to do with the breakfast thing..." Cam added on a sarcastic whisper, leaning in closer to Daniel.

He growled in response. "Dammit, I'm too hungover to deal with you two." Daniel once again dropped his head into his arm, cigarette still burning between his fingers. A gentle hand rubbed along his back several minutes later.

Janet's voice was soft and understanding in his ear. "Jack needed me to bring over some things, and I figured I'd stay and make ya'll something to eat." She was rewarded with a thankful look from Daniel as he raised his head. Her thumb brushed along his stubbly cheek. "Plus I wanted to make sure you made it home alright - you were pretty gone when you left the bar last night."

"Way gone." Daniel corrected, closing his eyes for a moment. As Janet gave his cheek one last stroke and moved off, he opened his eyes and fixed a glare on the two at the table. "'Course I'm payin' hell for it now."

The paper finally found its way to the table as Jack leaned forward. "Damn straight you are." He said in the fatherly tone only used on the two he'd taken under his wing. "Daniel, Janet tells me you were so wasted last night you could barely stand up."

A defiant smirk is all he got in return, broken only as Daniel put the cigarette to his mouth for another drag. It was followed by him sucking on his teeth with his tongue, egging Jack on. The older man just stared back, and the tension in the kitchen skyrocketed.

"Okay, before we get into this argument _again_..." Cam said impatiently, shifting in his seat. He turned a gaze on Daniel, who was still staring at Jack. "You gonna be ready to go after we eat?"

Daniel took the final drag from his cigarette, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger as he ground it out into the table. The action gained a headshake and an exasperated sigh from Jack, who finally looked away. "Go where?"

"Go where?" Cam minded in slight disbelief. "Man, you know where we're goin'!"

Bloodshot blue eyes turned on him. "Well, obviously I can't remember..." Daniel mocked.

A short laugh came from across the table. "Can't imagine why."

"Okay, ya know what..." Daniel said loudly, shooting Jack a pissed off look.

Jack pushed back his chair, moving to stand up, but Janet jumped to stop the action.

"Cool it, you two." She ordered, pointing a spoon between them. "Cam's right - there's no need to argue this point again. We all know your sides." She fixed a stern glare on Daniel. "You need to pace yourself," The glare turned on Jack as he opened his mouth to agree on that point. "And you need to learn how to stay outta the boy's business."

Again Jack went to say something, but Janet held up a finger. "Ah, ah. Don't wanna hear it..." She rolled her eyes and turned and moved back towards the stove. "I've heard it enough - Besides, where do you think he learned to party so hard anyway?"

Crossing his arms, Jack flopped back in his chair and pouted. "I wasn't that bad..."

"Ha!" Janet laughed loudly. "You were being carried out of my bar when my mama was still runnin' it." She turned and gave Jack a significant look. "As I recall, it was Daniel here who had to help you home just last week."

Daniel smiled smugly and raised his eyebrows towards Jack, who coughed indignantly.

"That's not the point here..."

Turning with a hand on her hip, Janet quirked a curious eyebrow. "I believe it is the point - these boys are only going by the lovely example you've set for them growin' up."

Cam turned and gave her a petulant pout. "I'm not part of this!"

"Oh...right." Again, Janet was laughing. "Like your track record is any better than his." Her spoon pointed at Daniel, who just smiled momentarily as he moved to light another cigarette. She stepped over to him and smacked the back of his head again.

"Dammit Janet!" Daniel pulled off his hat, dropping it on the table as he rubbed at the spot she hit.

"No smoking-"

"In the kitchen." Daniel finished for her, still bringing the cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. He pulled in deeply, then exhaled the smoke up towards her. "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Janet rolled her eyes and moved back over to the table. "Well, stop lettin' you into my bar for one." She picked up the skillet with a towel and scraped scrambled eggs onto three waiting plates. A disbelieving laugh came from the direction of the table and she shook her head, fighting a grin. As disrespectful as they could be sometimes, Janet couldn't help loving them.

She picked some bacon out of the other skillet, and set it alongside the eggs. Then she grabbed the plates and carried them over to the table.

"And then I'd stop makin' you breakfast." Janet finished as she set the plates down in front of them. All three guys perked up at the sight of the food, Cameron adding a laugh in response to her statement.

Janet pointed a finger at him. "You ain't much better, boy." Her finger shifted to the pieces of metal littering the table. "Bringin' greasy things from your junker inside is just as bad." She took the edges of the rag on either side, picked it up, much to Cam's protest, and moved to dump it out on the porch.

"It's not a junker! And why didn't you steal his cigarette?" Cam whined, holding a hand out to Daniel as the other man grinned at him.

She looked at Daniel. "Cause I know he's gonna put it out any moment, ain't that right?"

Taking one last drag, Daniel sat up and nodded. "Yes Ma'am!" He beamed, again grounding out the butt into the table. He reached for his hat, placing it backwards on his head, and pulled his breakfast closer. A moment later, he was digging in with gusto.

"Oh, Janet's shining star." Cameron glowered. He dipped his fork into his eggs, sticking them into his mouth before leaning towards Daniel. "You know she only likes you more 'cause her kid's got a crush on you."

Daniel snorted around a piece of toast, looking up at Jack for a moment. The older man was hiding a smile in his coffee cup.

"Yes, well - it's an intellectual crush." He finally said, looking at Cam smugly. "Cassie knows I'm smarter than you."

Sticking out his tongue, Cam returned his attention to his food. "So, about after breakfast..."

Daniel looked up at him, chewing slowly. He furrowed his brow. "You do know the hangover is still here, right? I didn't just miraculously recall what the _hell_ you're talkin' about." He shoveled more eggs into his mouth. "'Course half the time I never know what you're talkin' 'bout."

Janet reached up and smacked him on the head again after he swallowed. She pointed her fork at him as he pouted at her. "Don't talk with your mouth full." Cam snickered and she turned her fork on him. "Hey, stop cacklin' and just remind him where ya'll are s'pose to be goin'!"

This time a snicker came from Daniel as Cameron swallowed his food loudly, looking properly chastised. Janet threw a look at Jack, letting him know it was his fault they acted the way he did. He just shrugged and continued to watch the exchange in silence.

"Hey, I don't hear no remindin' goin on here..." Janet looked back to Cam after a moment, jabbing her fork at him. He sighed and turned an impatient glare on Daniel, who was watching back as he chewed.

"I told you about this - you've known for months now..." Cam tried to coax the memory to come to his surrogate brother's mind. Daniel just shook his head, his expression uncomprehending. "Vala..." Again, nothing. "Come on, man! Vala, my long time childhood friend who's comin' to _live_ here..."

Finally, Daniel's eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned. "Right, right..." He turned back to his food, leaning over it slightly. "She's comin' into town today."

Cam nodded, and waited for Daniel to say more. When he didn't, Cam rolled his eyes. "You said you'd ride with me to pick her up."

Groaning, Daniel dropped his fork. "Cam..."

"What!?" Cameron dropped his own fork and glared at Daniel. "You've known this was comin' up - I reminded you last night!"

Daniel flopped back in his seat, scratching just behind his ear. "Dude, last night is all one big haze - I barely remember staggerin' home from Stoley's, let alone something you told me about pickin' up this girlfriend of yours."

"Again, you've known about this for weeks!" Cam argued, thumping his hand against the table and making the plates jump. "Now because you got lost with Jose Cuervo last night, and are payin' for it now, you're gonna make me fight the interstate and airport alone?!"

Shaking his head, Daniel poked at his remaining food with his fork. "No..." At the disbelieving look Cam gave him, he sighed. "Well, yes..." He pleaded with his friend to understand. "Man, that ride is bad enough without the added joys of a hangover. You know that..."

"I know." Cam said impatiently. "That's why we agreed to go together."

Daniel sighed again, this time in slight exasperation. "Cam, look, I'm sorry." He leaned in closer to Cameron. "I know I should've remembered this - I know it's important to you. But I can't go, and it's not just because I'm hungover."

"And why is that?" Cameron asked slowly, trying to get a grip on his agitation.

Picking up his only half smoked cigarette, Daniel relit it, ignoring the sigh from Janet. He pulled his foot up onto the chair, hand holding the cigarette wrapping around his knee. "'Cause I promised Jimmy I'd take a look at that piece of shit he insists on goin' muddin' in."

Cam flopped back in his chair. "Great - blowin' me off to work on _Jimmy's_ car." He pointed a finger at Janet. "That's the definition of junker, by the way." She just shrugged and continued eating.

"It's not justJimmy." Daniel said, taking a drag. "I also told Jack I'd help him around here, and as much as I don't want to do yard work while i recover from my evenin' fun, I can't just blow him off."

Jack nodded a thanks to Daniel, then looked at Cam. "He did say he'd help me out, and this work isn't somethin' I can do on my own."

Shaking his head, Cam pushed his chair back and got up. "Fine, yeah, whatever." He grumbled as he carried his plate to the sink. After running some water on it, Cam moved back over to lean down on Daniel's chair. "But you sure as shit owe me one." He pushed Daniel's head to the side hard, making him groan.

Cam then moved to the door, stopping just on the threshold to look back at Jack. "Make sure he suffers through that hangover..."

"Oh don't you worry 'bout that." Jack grinned as he fixed a look on Daniel.

The younger man smiled back in sarcastic cheer. "Fuckin' lovely..."

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	2. Long Time, No See

**Long Time, No See**

Cam tried to blend into the wall of the bustling airport, trying his best to tune out the cacophony of noises that assailed him from every possible direction. People were everywhere, panicked or sleep deprived. Parents yelling at kids, who were shrieking or complaining, whining over the stupidest things.

This is why he hated the big city. Nobody ever stopped to enjoy the simplicities of life. They were always going, always needing something high tech and fancy to do to keep themselves busy. Cam wouldn't give up his laid back, country life for any of that - to him, keeping busy was getting lit off a bottle of whiskey while looking for some good ol' fashion mischief to get into.

It was simple, it was fun, and it was home - that's all Cameron had really ever known his entire life. Growing up with Daniel, watching as Jack and Janet got into the same kinds of antics they now found themselves getting into. Jack's grandma had raised them, with lots of help from Janet's mom - sadly both had passed since, but Cam would never forget the life lessons both women had instilled in them, the ones Jack and Janet were still teaching them.

Of course there had been the rare occasion where Cam had headed down to Texas to visit with his real grandma. Those summer trips had been her attempt to set him on the right path, away from the backwards life of sin he lived in with Jack's lot and towards god and the future. Months and months of bible studies and church fundraisers - basically a growing boy's hell.

Especially if said growing boy could romp, play, cuss, and get into trouble without too much incident when he was home. Cameron had learned to loath everything about those summers with Grandma Mitchell.

Everything except a little girl with jet black pigtails. He'd found a kindred spirit in Vala Mal Duran. She was always up for any of his trouble-causing ideas, ideas the other kids would go running to mama about. Cam had liked her almost instantly when her born-again Austrailian mother had dragged her out of the mud, bitching at her the whole way. Vala had just rolled her eyes and fixed Cam with the flirtiest smile he'd ever seen on a six year old.

They'd soon become quick friends, getting themselves into more trouble than their guardians could handle. Finally, it got to the point where Grandma Mitchell had come to the conclusion that Cameron couldn't be saved, and there was no need for him to return the following summer, lest he should corrupt Vala's innocence.

The two had been eleven - it was the last time they'd ever seen each other in person. Of course Cam had kept in touch with Vala through the years, feeling like a brother to her despite the distance. And finally Vala had gotten herself enough money to get out of her mother's house and make a change in her life.

A change from a rebellious outcast girl in a religious Texas town to a rebellious woman in Cam's Tennessee town. He was more than sure she wouldn't be an outcast - their whole town was made up of nothing but dysfunctional misfits. Vala would fit right in.

If only her plane would land...

Cam lifted his head off the wall and watched the throngs of people passing by. His fingers tapped an anxious pattern against his hip. He was dying for a cigarette, and knowing there was an unopen pack of Marlboro's in Daniel's truck outside didn't help matters.

He smirked nonetheless, thinking of how he'd just up and left in Daniel's beat up Ford without permission - it was Cam's payback for his 'brother' ditching him. That, and he wasn't gonna pay for the gas burned in the trip to the airport and back. Hell, he might just find a nice scenic route home, show Vala the back country sights.

A grin graced his lips as he thought how pissed Daniel was gonna be.

"What he deserves for makin' me come here alone." Cam muttered as three shrieking kids flew past, just inches from barreling into him. Shaking his head, Cam looked up as people started to file out of the exiting side of the metal detectors. He stepped off to the side a little, not really sure if this was Vala's flight at all.

Person after unregonizable person passed through the exit, none of them looking anything remotely like Vala. Cam sighed and looked to his right, towards the exit where freedom and nicotine waited.

"You lost, cowboy?!" A slightly accented voice shouted, bringing Cam's attention back towards the group of incoming travelers. A grin split his lips at the sight of a slender young woman, one hand on her hip, as she blocked the people behind her from getting past.

He stepped away from the wall. "Get over here, you!" Cam indicated with a sweep of his hand, laughing as she bounced in place then came rushing towards him.

"Cameron!" She squeeled, drawing stares from all the other airport patrons. Even more stared as she launched herself into his waiting arms, her legs wrapping around his waist.

Cam laugh into her neck. "Vala, girl, you've shot up." He pulled back with a smile, spinning her around, ignoring the offended comments of people trying to walk past.

She giggled and pulled back. "Not that little midget thing anymore." Vala wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a long, wet kiss on Cam's cheek as he lowered her back to the floor. "'Course you're not so tiny yourself, cowboy."

"Yes, well..." Cam preened just for her. "Nice country livin' does a body good." He grinned as she just laughed a little at his words. "Should do you some good, too."

Vala smiled softly, adjusting the backpack she had slung over one shoulder. "I'm hopin' it will - I'm tired of having to hide who I am from my entire world. I just want to be me - free and wild, like mama before she went and got shacked up with God."

He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Trust me, kiddo - where we're goin', free and wild is town tradition." Cam moved next to her and started ushering her in the direction of the baggage claim. "Now let's get back to that tradition before all this city shit gets to my head."

--

"Do me a favor?" Cam asked as Vala climbed in the passenger side of the truck. He focused on starting the car and putting it into the right gear - a difficult task at the best of times. The old, beat up blue vehicle had been rebuilt so many damn times, everyone except Daniel had lost count. Still, the young man just couldn't part with his baby, nor the fact that the gears stuck worse than molasses on a summer day.

Vala watched Cam struggle. "Yes?" She questioned in response to his own.

He flicked her a glance, cursing to the stubborn stick shift under his breath. "Reach in the glove compartment there and fish out them Marlboro's."

Her eyebrow rose curiously, but Vala didn't say anything as she opened up the glove department and rooted through the piles of papers. Just as she connected with the box, Cam finally got the truck to shift into gear.

"Fuck yeah!" He shouted, settling back against the bench seat and pulling the truck out of the parking spot. He sped around the garage, desperate to get away from the airport and civilization.

Vala cleared her throat, and Cam looked at her. She shook the pack of cigarettes at him. He smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Right, sorry." He reached over and quickly plucked the box from her hand. Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on the steering well, using his hands to unwrap the cellophane on the box.

Grey eyes watched him with curiosity and amusement. "When'd you start smokin'?"

Cam barked out a laugh, shooting her an 'are you serious' look. "Oh, technically took my first drag behind Jack's house when I was eight - didn't get hooked 'til Daniel rigged the machine at Stoley's and was able to get them for free."

"And when was that?" Vala asked, relaxing back into the seat as Cam pulled onto the interstate.

He laughed again, opening the box and pulling out a cigarette with his lips. "Ten, eleven?" Cam flopped back in the seat, fishing the spare bic lighter out of his pocket. He flicked it on with his thumb and brought the flame to the end of the cigarette. "At least I think it was then - I've been doin' so long now, I can't really remember."

Cam tossed the lighter and pack onto the seat and took a deep pull from the cigarette. Holding it between his fingers, he brought that hand to the steering wheel so he could roll down the window with the other. As he exhaled, he looked at Vala, who was still watching him intently.

She shook her head as he held out the cigarette towards her.

"I only smoke when I drink." Vala said with a smile, shifting in her seat to stare out the window.

Cam laughed once more, and it drew her attention back to him. "You say that now, but wait 'til you meet Daniel. He makes it look so cool, that I'm pretty damn sure he'd convince the surgeon general to take a drag." He took a drag himself to emphasize the point.

Vala grinned. "Speaking of this Daniel, didn't you tell me he was gonna be with you at the airport?"

An agitated look fell across Cam's face as he changed lanes at lightning speeds, letting the cigarette rest on this lips."Yes, well, Daniel has a way of..." He shifted into a higher gear, pushing down on the gas a little more. "Weaslin' his way outta things he don't wanna do...usually with copius amounts of alcohol the night before."

"Are you sayin' he's not here 'cause he's hungover?" Vala asked with a slightly disbelieving laugh.

Cam grinned, continuing to run Nascar with the unsuspecting drivers. "Well, yeah..." He cast her a quick look. "Partly - but he did have work to do, work he honestly couldn't get out of without sacrificing his first-born child, lord save us whenever that happens..."

Before he could continue, the cell phone he'd stashed in one of the dash compartments started belting out Trace Adkin's 'Rough & Ready.' "Speak of the devil..." Cam grinned, pulling from the cigarette quickly before snatching the phone up.

"Ears must be burnin'..." He said into the phone as he exhaled blue smoke. "Hell yeah I'm telling her 'bout you!" Cam focused on driving and talking into the phone, taking occasional moments to take a drag of the cigarette.

Vala watched her side of the exchange with interest, gauging Cam's expressions as he absently weaved through traffic, shifting gears flawlessly.

"That's whatcha get for blowin' me off...Hell yes I had a right to take it. Try revenge, Daniel. I'm not hurtin' your baby...Damn man, you talk 'bout this piece of crap better then you talk 'bout your women - I'm sure if you'd asked those girls, they'd say something completely different. I'm not gonna get in this argument with you again - well, cause I'm drivin' and you're still cranky from Senor Cuervo. Well, it don't sound like it's gone to me."

A smile spread across her lips as the conversation carried on like that for several more minutes. She could see a comfortableness in her friend that she'd never seen back in Texas, and that comfort only seemed to grow with each seemingly harsh jibe Cam threw across the line.

"Yeah, whatever - you still owe me, and I'm thinkin' a whole case this time." Cam laughed at the shout on the other end of the phone. "Oh, and while you're still mullin' over that, you're gonna need a new pack of cigarettes for your truck, which is definitely gonna need gas buy the time I get back."

Before he could hear anything else, Cameron snapped the phone shut and tossed it back in the dash compartment.

"He's gonna kick my ass when we get there." He laughed, settling back into the seat once more.

Vala grinned and looked out the front windshield. "You don't sound too upset about that."

Looking at her for a second, Cam's grin matched hers. "You're right - I don't."

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	3. Introductions

**Introductions**

Dust shot up from behind the worn in pickup truck as it sped down the winding dirt road that lead to Jack's house. Windows rolled down and the local country station cranked up loud, Vala smiled at Cam. He was continuing to tell her about growing up in the little podunk town they'd already driven through. He was leaning close to the steering wheel, driving with one hand while the other flew around as he spoke, another cigarette clutched between his fingers.

"Then of course there's Stoley's, place of my life education." Cam shouted over the music and the banging of the truck on the uneven dirt.

Vala looked at him, hand holding tight to the handle above her head. "Nothin' like a good bar education to lead you through life."

He nodded, pulling the car to a sudden stop as a large house loomed before them. Vala levered herself out of the window, sitting on the door as her mouth fell open. Cam jumped out of the truck, tossing the cigarette to the ground as he jogged up the porch.

As he called out various 'hellos' to the house, his voice drifting back out the screen door, Vala looked around her, really noticing the property for the first time. Besides the main house, there was a pretty decent sized second house, several open acres of land covered in lush grass, and there were trees all around.

She had a feeling she was really gonna like it here.

"Well, they ain't home." Cam hollered back to her as he came out of the house. Vala levered herself out of the truck, looking around her some more as she met him halfway in his trek back to the truck.

"Holy crap, cowboy." She breathed as she spun in a circle to take it all in. "This place..." Vala finally looked at him and smiled in disbelief. "Is amazing."

Cam grinned, placing his hands on his hips as he looked around too. "I wasn't yankin' your chain, girl - this place...this is home." He blew out air quickly through his nose. "'Course it helps when the family is in the home...where the hell-"

A loud clap, kind of like thunder but not, shattered the quiet afternoon country side, sending birds flying up from the trees. The sound repeated a few more times, and was followed by a distant excited shout. Vala looked at Cam and grinned.

"Guess that answers your question."

In response, he dragged her back to the truck. "Well, if they ain't gonna be over here..." Slamming the passenger door shut after Vala was settled in, Cam ran around to the other side and hopped in himself. "We're gonna be over there." He shoved the gear into drive and flashed her a devious smirk. "Might wanna hold on."

Vala latched onto the handle again as Cam hit the gas hard, the truck taking off. He lead it around the house, the vehicle jumping and bouncing as it easily navigated the uneven terrain. Vala laughed and leaned out the window, cheering as Cam drove down a grassy incline. The truck bounced across the creek at the bottom, and the ground leveled out as they drove across the lush grass.

The grass quickly thinned out tremendously, patches of dirt littering the ground around them. Up ahead, Vala saw a wooden post fence in the distance, two figures standing just off the left a bit by a fallen, hollow tree carcass and its remaining stump. She pulled herself back into the truck as they both cast quick glances in the truck's direction.

Her grey eyes immediately landed on the lean, muscular man who was taking a shotgun the other, slightly older man was handing to him. Cam pulled the truck to a stop again, and Vala slowly opened the door and climbed out.

She slowly walked around the front of the truck, watching as the young man leveled the shotgun against his shoulder. Vala breathed in deeply as she took in the sight of him, his stance clearly showing he was focused on his task.

Eyes roamed from the camo baseball hat on his head, over his stubbly cheek and cigarette hanging from his lips, down his muscular neck and tight black t-shirt covered chest. They continued down to his slender legs, hidden behind a slim fitting pair of jeans that were so worn she saw just as much tan skin as denim.

Vala was so wrapped up in him that when he finally did fire the gun, the sound didn't even break her concentration. She didn't even notice him nail the two beer cans sitting on the fence. It wasn't until Cam called her name the third time that Vala looked away from him.

Daniel turned around to see her just as she looked at Cam, and he stopped lowering the shotgun midway at the sight of her. He blinked, then recovered from his stupor as he noticed Cam was leading her over to him. Daniel walked over to the stump where his recently opened beer sat, and rested the gun up against it.

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stood up just as Cam and his friend reached him.

"Daniel, Vala..." Cam said, waving back and forth between them with his free hand, the other on Vala's arm.

Vala gave a sort of shy smile. "Hello."

"Hi." Daniel replaced the cigarette as he held out his right hand to her. She took it, giving his hand a strong shake.

Her smile grew a little. "That was some pretty fine shootin', Daniel."

Caught up in her smile, and her voice, Daniel just grinned wider as his blue eyes stared straight into hers.

Cam jerked his head back a fraction in surprise, looking back and forth between Daniel and Vala in wonder. He then looked at Jack, who had an enigmatic smirk on his lips as he sipped from his beer bottle. Cam blinked in disbelief.

"And this..." He practically had to drag Vala away from Daniel and over towards Jack. "Is Jack."

Daniel focused on his truck, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He realized that wasn't enough to shake the intoxicating unsettled feeling just seeing Vala had set in him, and he reached down and picked up his beer bottle. Touching the edge to his lip, he drained it half dry. As he set it back down, Daniel finally turned to face the others.

Blues eyes instantly found Vala as she smiled and talked with Jack. Daniel jumped slightly as Cam patted his back harder than was necessary. He turned a glare on his friend.

"Best come down before I drag you." Cam whispered with a smile as Vala looked over at them for a moment.

Daniel shifted, pulling a drag from the cigarette. "Don't know what you mean..."

A fierce blue gaze met his. "Right." Cam squeezed Daniel's shoulder hard before leaning down and picking up the shotgun. "Now let me show these two how to shoot right." He directed towards Vala, gaining a sarcastic bark of a laugh from Jack.

"The right way to shoot the broad side of a barn." Daniel finally broke from his haze, grounding out the cigarette into the dirt, as Cam leveled the gun. He stepped over towards Jack and Vala, focusing his gaze on his 'brother' instead of the woman next to him. "Oh wait, ya can't hit that either!"

Vala snorted lightly, watching the two men.

The predatory glint in Cam's eyes was gone when he glared back at Daniel.

Daniel pointed out towards the fence. "Targets are that way, sweetheart."

As Cam rolled his eyes and returned his attention forward, Vala leaned in close to Daniel.

"Think I could go next?"

He looked at her, slightly surprised. "You can shoot?"

Vala shrugged and shook her head. "No better than most..." She stepped around Jack and over to the cooler, leaning down and pulling a cold beer from the icy confines. Vala used another tree trunk to pop the top off. She turned back to surprised expressions as she took a sip.

"'Course I'm always ready to learn." She added with a grin, letting the bottle tap against her thigh.

Identical grins slowly formed on Jack and Daniel's faces. As Cam finally took his shots, Vala took another pull from the bottle and Jack leaned back towards Daniel.

"She's gonna fit right in."

Daniel licked his lips and nodded. "She really is."

--

The rest of the afternoon consisted of making targets of old beer cans and drinking fresh beer from bottles. The party continued over into the evening as the guys informed Vala that she wasn't a member of the town until she spent a night at Stoley's drinking, dancing, and playing pool.

Vala had gladly agreed, and now she found herself sitting at a hightop table in Stoley's bar, watching a scene that would soon become part of her everyday life.

"You're a good shot."

She turned towards the new voice, only half hearing it over the din of the bar.

"What?" Vala questioned back loudly, a smile gracing her lips as she looked at the only other person at the table with her.

Daniel leaned over the table a little, resting his right elbow on the warped surface. "I said..." He raised his voice a bit so she could hear over all the noise, a smile ghosting across his face. "You're a good shot."

Her smiled widened a little. "Thank you." Vala watched Daniel nod, his eyelids drooping a little the only sign he was just as buzzed as she was. She mimicked his position on the table, the cigarettes burning in both their hands adding smoke to the already hazy bar. "You're not bad yourself."

He grinned. "Yeah, well - I do better when I'm not recoverin' from my nighttime fun."

"Yeah, Cam told me you had a run in with some tequila last night." Vala leaned a little more over the table, her voice laced with understanding amusement.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Run in is puttin' it lightly - I pretty much fell into Jose's arms."

She gave him a curious look as she took a puff. "Any particular reason?"

Shrugging, Daniel pulled from his cigarette too. "'Cause I had no reason not to..." He looked around the bar before turning a rueful grin on her. "As you can see, we like to have a good time around here."

Vala nodded, laughing loudly. "Yeah, I can see that." She looked out at the people, only barely remembering half of them. Of course she'd already had a few by the time they'd gotten to the bar.

"But don't let this partying fool ya..." Daniel said and it brought her eyes back to his. "Everyone 'round here does a lot of hard work, and some of them are better than family."

She shook her head. "I don't doubt it."

A silence fell between them as the song on the juke box changed over, making it marginally quieter in the bar. As the next song started up, Vala leaned back over towards Daniel.

"So why don't you catch me up on who everyone is?" She took the final drag from her cigarette, grounding it into the ashtray between them. ""Cause I'll be honest the floodin' of info that happened when I came in didn't get past the beer."

"And what's to say what I tell you will?" Daniel asked with a sly smirk, picking up his beer and taking a sip.

Vala smiled cheekily at him. "See, now the beer's settled in, and things seem to stick after that..." She looked at the table and raised her eyebrows. "Least til buzzed turns to drunk - then nothin' seems to stick."

He chuckled. "So I should tell ya now before more beer settles?"

Nodding vigorously, Vala tilted her stool forward as she crossed her arms atop the table.

Daniel sat up, pulled the final drag from his cigarette, followed her actions by rubbing it into the ashtray, then took another drink from his bottle. "Alright..." He swiveled on his stool, pointing at the person closest to him.

"Obviously ya know Cam..." He threw her a look over his shoulder. "My partner in crime and closest thing I'll ever have to a twin brother." Daniel looked back to the bar, and drifted his pointed finger along. "That's T-man." He emphasized as his finger stopped on the muscular, dark-skinned man leaning against the bar.

"He's the town mechanic, and has taught me, Cam, and Jack a thing or two 'bout cars." Daniel laughed a little. "T's also the only one in town with a proper tow truck, and always is the one to bail us out after we've realized our trucks only get stuck worse when we try and do it ourselves."

The hand that was pointing and holding a beer at the same time moved along. "That's Sam Carter." Daniel indicated the blonde who was shyly chatting up Jack. "She's the only waitress that works here, though the only people she really serves are the one-timers and..." He looked at her again, smiling smugly. "Anybody that's not us."

"'Course ya met Jack already." Again, Daniel laughed, this time as Jack practically fell off his stool. "Be glad you met him when ya did, 'cause it looks like he's gonna pull the same act I did last night."

Vala snorted a little, nodding as Daniel grinned at her.

He quickly jumped back into his introductions. "Then there's Janet, my big sister slash mother slash pain in the ass nag." Daniel blew the woman a kiss as she caught him looking at her. "She owns this bar, and..."

Vala's eyes followed the direction Daniel's hand drifted across the bar to the only child that was in the establishment.

"That devil over there is hers too." Despite the words, Vala could see the affection Daniel held for the girl in his eyes. "Though I'm sure it wouldn't take much to figure that out - Cassie is just a little clone of her mother."

Looking at the red-headed girl flipping through the selections on the jukebox, Vala tilted her head. "How old is she?"

Daniel looked at her. "Eight. Isn't she just the prettiest little girl you've ever seen?" As Vala nodded and smiled, Daniel looked back at Cassie. "She's so smart and creative... I love her like she's my own. We all do, and I think Janet is grateful for it."

"Her dad's not around?" Vala asked innocently, then blinked at the dark look that clouded Daniel's face.

He turned on his stool so he was facing the table and her. Slowly the beer bottle came to the worn surface, Daniel watching the condensation on the bottom soak into the wood. "No, her dad isn't here."

Vala shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything-"

"No, I know." Daniel tried to smile reassuringly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's just something we try not to talk about around here."

She nodded. "I was just curious..."

Daniel sipped his beer, then returned to twisting it against the table's surface. "Let's just say it's best we leave that conversation for another time."

Vala nodded again. "Okay."

After a slightly uncomfortable silence, Daniel let out a loud, ragged sigh and looked up at her. His lips were split in a playful grin. "Well, I think I need a shot or two to lighten things up again. You game?"

Her grin matched his. "Absolutely."

--

She knew she was giggling again, but Vala also knew she wasn't going to be able to stop. That's what happened when she'd had enough to drink to make the world slightly off-kilter, but not enough to say she was drunk. And Vala had hit that hazy middle on the ride back to Daniel and Cameron's house, where she was going to be staying until she could get someplace of her own.

The cause of her giggles snorted out a laugh himself as he brought his keys close to his face for a third time. "I'll get it this time, I swear."

"Sure." Vala laughed as she shifted the bag draped over her shoulder. The rest of her stuff sat around her feet on the front porch to the house. It wasn't like she'd had much to bring, and that much was evident in the stark yellow porch light that shined down on them.

Daniel held up a key and squinted at it. "Pretty sure this is right..." He leaned in close to the lock, stumbling forward half a step as his weight shifted. He licked his lips to fight the smile as Vala giggled again, slowly sliding the key into the hole. As opposed to the prior two tries, when he turned it, the key obliged and moved with the motion.

"Ha!" Daniel laughed, turning the knob and throwing the door open with a flourish. He shot up, taking just a single step back to steady himself. "Told ya I'd get it."

She nodded in acquiescence. "You did."

His hand swept upwards. "I'd like to welcome you to your new home..." Vala grinned and stepped over her measly two duffel bags and into the house. Daniel snatched them up easily, carrying them inside behind her. "'Least 'til ya get on your feet here."

He closed the door, leaving her standing by it as he moved to turn on some lights. Vala's giggling returned slightly as his laughed out curses found their way back to her as he stumbled through the dark. She blinked as a sudden flooding of light filled the room.

"Damn, that seems brighter than usual." Daniel winced as he moved from the far end of the living room that was just off to her right across the wooden floor that separated the den from the tiled kitchen. He felt up on the inside of the small part of the wall that jutted out past the fridge and flicked on the overhead kitchen light.

Vala smiled at him as he walked back to her. "But it's got nothin' to do with the beer and the whiskey, right?"

He shook his finger at her and smiled. "I knew I was gonna like you."

Daniel picked up her bags again, and Vala followed him as he moved into the kitchen and placed the duffels on the square table. She sunk into one of the wooden chairs

"You want anything?" He asked as he took a seat at the table

She shrugged. "Whatcha got?"

Daniel threw back a laugh that sounded more than a little sarcastic. "Uh..." He drawled out as he looked around the kitchen. "I guess the real question is - what do you want?"

She dropped her backpack to the floor. "Actually, I think I'm good."

Laughing again, Daniel slouched down in his seat. "Meaning you're too tipsy to think about it." He closed his eyes slowly, dropping his head down. A soft smile played on his lips.

"Exactly." Vala agreed as she looked out at the living room, her gaze drifting to the darkened hallway the wooden path on the floor lead into. A thought occurred to her.

"So, where _exactly_ am I sleeping tonight?"

"Mmmm..." Daniel hummed, straightening up. He reached for her bags. "Come on - I'll show you your room for the night."

Vala followed him out of the kitchen and into the hall, where he flicked on another switch, then moved down it. Near the end, on the right, Daniel pushed open a door with his back. Vala stepped in behind him, and waited as once again Daniel moved to find a light.

"Here we go..." A dim light flooded the room, and Vala looked around its confines. There was a desk littered with tons of things off to her left, and a three row bookshelf next to it, also cluttered with books and papers. Her gaze moved on to the partially open closet door, then across the far wall, where the bed jutted out towards her. It was nestled under a decent sized window, and sandwiched between two dark-brown bookshelves that reached to the ceiling and were jammed tight with stuff. A small nightstand sat just to the right side of the bed, which Daniel was swaying ever so slightly by.

She continued to take in the room, noticing a door on the wall to her right, with a tv stand next to that. On top was a decent-sized tv, and just to the right of that was a long shelf, four rows high, packed tight with movies and video games.

"I hope this is alright?" Daniel's voice drew her attention back to him. He looked uncertain, his hands held up a little. "I mean, I know it's a little messy and cluttered..."

Vala smiled. "It's fine..." She moved completely into the room, walking over to the bookshelf on the left side of the bed. She squinted at randomly placed titles as Daniel moved over to the desk and started to rifle through papers, trying to clean up a little.

"Is this your room, Daniel?"

He hesitated a little, his hands pausing in their cleaning up for a fraction. "Yeah..." Daniel nodded after a moment, turning to look at her. She wasn't sure if he leaned back against the chair purposely or stumbled into it. "Probably not what you were expecting from a redneck like me."

Vala raised an eyebrow, smirking at his obvious discomfort.

"I just...enjoy reading." Daniel rushed on, making it obvious to her that it wasn't the first time he'd had to defend the state of his room. "I mean, I like to go out and have fun, shoot guns, fix cars, get drunk and romp around, but reading is just..."

Finally, Vala decided to spare him. "It's alright, Daniel." She walked over to him and smiled reassuringly, standing on her tip toes. "I don't think there's anything wrong with a smart cowboy."

He looked down at her. "You ain't messin' with me, right? Cause I take enough shit 'bout this from most people 'round here."

"Ain't messin'." Vala smiled and walked over to sit on the bed. "Now I might give you shit 'bout not being able to sleep on this bed."

"Right!" Daniel headed for the bed, stopping by the left side to stare at the scattered papers littering the top of it. "Ummm..." He bent down, picked up one of the papers, squinted at it, then sighed. "Screw it."

The next Vala knew, Daniel was scooping up the entire bunch of papers and carrying it over to the closet. He opened the door some more, dumped the papers on the floor, then closed the closet. His smile was victorious as he leaned back against the door and smirked at her.

"Problem solved."

She smiled lethargically at him. "Very nice." Vala flopped back on the bed, her arms flung out. She laughed as the world tilted lazily. "This is all quite nice."

A short laugh had her shifting her gaze to her right. She watched as Daniel made his way to her and the bed. "You should get to sleep 'cause I'm thinkin' it's safe to say you're drunk."

"If I am, it's all ya'lls doin'." Vala pointed an accusing finger at him. "Though I contest your words."

Daniel leaned on his hands, looking at her with a grin. "Still, you need to get to sleep."

"I do."

"Then on that note, I'll say goodnight." Daniel pushed off the bed, making it almost all the way to the doorway before needing to reach out to steady himself. He looked back at Vala, who was watching him sleepily. "Welcome to the family, Vala."

She smiled and nodded. As Daniel stepped out and closed the door, Vala sat up and took in the blurry world around her. The only things from her former world sat in three rather small bags on the floor. They seemed so insignificant in comparison to the expanse of freedom that now surrounded her.

Vala slowly stripped down to just her t-shirt and panties, sliding under the covers that held the scent of Daniel within their confines. She sighed, smiling at herself for passing her introduction into this new world.

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	4. A Learning Experiece

**A Learning Experience**

Vala figured it was the peace and quiet that woke her. It wasn't something she was used to in the morning - usually her mornings consisted of being woken by her slowly going insane mother bitching at her for something. It had been that way almost all her life, so the serene atmosphere she now found herself in had her awakening instead of lulling her back to sleep.

Sitting up in the bed, she took in her surroundings. Her thoughts were a little murky, but Vala could pretty much recall the events of the evening before. This was Daniel's room, and - she looked down - she was in Daniel's bed.

The thought was unexplainably pleasing. She smiled sleepily as she dwelled on it, throwing aside the deliciously scented comforter and placing her bare feet on the worn carpet. Deciding she should see if anyone else was around, Vala groggily moved to pull on some cut-offs and slide her feet into a cheap pair of slip-ons.

She shuffled to the door, opening it slowly. Peering down the hall towards the kitchen and living room, Vala stepped out of Daniel's room. She slowly walked down the passage, reaching in the pocket of her shorts and pulling out the hair tie she always kept there. With a yawn, she tied her hair up in a high ponytail as she stepped out of the hall.

Her grey eyes drifted across the kitchen and towards the living room, where a gentle snoring was drifting up from the confines of the couch. Stepping over to it, a smile graced her lips at the sight of Cameron. He was still dressed in the same clothes from the day before, his boots still on his feet. Face smushed into a pillow, he was snoring and drooling up a storm, one arm dangling off the side of the couch.

Leaving Cam to his sleep, Vala moved to the front door and opened it up. She gently closed it behind her as she stepped out into the already hot morning. She breathed in deeply as the beauty of Jack's property bombarded her, this time in the golden light of morning. A gentle breeze swept through the grass and trees, and there was a symphony of bird calls in the air.

And the faint sounds of metal against metal, mixed in with country music. Brow furrowed in curiosity, Vala walked down the porch steps and around the left side of the house. She continued on in the direction of the sounds, which was coming from a wooden building of some kind nestled at an equal distance between the guest house, where Daniel and Cam lived, and Jack's house. It was too small to be a barn, yet way too big to be any kind of a tool shed.

Curiosity ratcheting up a notch, Vala crossed her arms as she made for the big opening in the front of the building. As she came within view of what was inside, she drew in a deep breath at the sight.

Standing on the tire of his truck, Daniel was leaning under the pulled-up hood, greasy fingers fiddling with something in the engine. He was quite noticeably shirtless, his firm, tan skin slick with sweat and sporting random splotches of grease. Vala bit her lip as tight muscles that had been hidden the day before now stood out in the morning light.

The intense look of concentration in his crystal blue eyes only added to the image - the way he chewed on his bottom lip as he continued to fiddle with stuff did as well. His gaze was so determined, so focused on the truck...

Then suddenly on her.

"Hey." Daniel smiled, extracting himself from over the engine.

"Hey yourself." Vala said as she moved towards him, arms still crossed. She watched as he snatched up a dirty red rag from over the open driver's door and stepped off the tire.

His smile turned into a curious smirk. "Kinda surprised to see you up this early, considerin'" The rest was left unsaid as he wiped his hands on the rag.

Vala stopped near the bumper of the truck, focusing on staring into his eyes instead of at his body. She could smell him from where she stood, and it was enticing. "Well, I'm a surprising kinda girl."

"Yeah?" Daniel questioned with a slightly devious smile, eyes roaming up her slender legs before coming to meet her gaze. She nodded, obviously having noticed him checking her out if the grin was anything to go by. Daniel hadn't exactly missed her looking at him a few minutes before either.

"So do you usually work on your truck this early in the morning?" Vala asked, leaning her arms down on the edge of the truck. She left out the 'shirtless' in her question, though she was pretty sure Daniel had picked up on the implication.

He licked his lips and nodded, looking down at his hands and walking over to the wooden workbench built into the wall, where tools were scattered about. He dropped the rag onto it, throwing her a look over his shoulder.

"It's a good time for me to make sure Ol' Blue is in working order." Daniel grinned as she quirked an eyebrow at the name.

"You named your truck?" Vala laughed gently after a moment. "Wow, that really is dedication considering how much trouble Cameron had just drivin' it yesterday."

One of his fingers came up as he turned and leaned back against the bench. "That's 'cause Cameron," Daniel mocked the name. "Doesn't know how to handle my baby." He pushed off the wood and walked over to his truck. His hand gently swept up the door. "She needs tender love, not roughin'."

Vala couldn't help but smile at him. "So this time of day gives you some quality time with," She lightly tapped the truck. "Ol' Blue?"

Nodding again, Daniel tossed her another devious smile. ""Cause I know, for a fact, Cam or Jack won't be houndin' me to help them with somethin' anytime soon."

"And how do you know that?" Vala whispered conspiratorially, leaning in a little.

Daniel leaned as well. "'Cause when I was walkin' out here at 'bout seven this morning, Cam was just weaving his way up the steps."

Now Vala grinned deviously. "He got in at seven?!"

"And was 'bout six sheets to the wind too." Daniel smirked, then pulled back up and shook his head. "And them two gave me crap 'bout being hungover yesterday." Suddenly his eyes lit up and had Vala pulling back up herself.

"What?" She questioned curiously.

Daniel grinned, walked over to the workbench and snatched up his checkered overshirt. He pulled it on, buttoning up a few of the buttons. He then picked up his coffee cup and moved over to her. "I owe someone some crap." He rasped in her ear, winking as she smiled at him. The two fell in step as they started back for the guest house.

Vala looked longingly at his cup as he drank from it. "That coffee?"

He looked at her, bringing the cup back down after a moment. "It is." He held out the cup to her. "You want some?"

"Oh..." Vala hadn't expected him to offer her any, but as he lifted his eyebrows and gestured with the cup again, she took the cup. She touched it to her lips, taking a tentative sip. The liquid was still pretty warm and a little bit stronger than she liked, but it was still coffee. The minute she swallowed, the caffeine buzz did wonders to clear her still foggy head.

Daniel smiled as he took the cup back, just after reaching in his back pocket and pulling out his cigarettes. Cup and pack in his right hand, he flipped back the top and pulled one out with his left. He placed the cigarette to his lips, then reached back in his pocket to get his lighter.

Vala watched, slightly turned on by the casual way he went about performing the task. The flame of the lighter came as he flicked it with his thumb, bringing said flame to the end of his cigarette. As he took a few starting puffs, Daniel noticed her watching him.

He pocketed the lighter and pulled the cigarette out. "You want one?" He stopped walking, holding the box out to her.

Vala's first reaction was to shake her head. "Uh, no thanks." She held up her hand. "I only smoke when I drink."

"Right." Daniel laughed, still holding the box out. "Like that really happens to anyone."

Grey eyes looked into blue for a long moment. Then Vala found herself reaching for a cigarette, and Daniel holding the flaming lighter out for her. As she pulled in a drag, Daniel finally put the box in his back pocket and pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

"Now come on - let's go wake sweet Cameron." Daniel started walking again, and Vala fell in beside him after a moment.

"Ain't this gonna be a little rude?" Vala questioned as Daniel sprinted up the three steps of the porch.

He looked back at her, meeting her curious smirk with his own mischievous one. "Extremely." Daniel then turned back to the door, and swung it open with a flourish. It slammed against the wall with a pleasing 'bang'.

"You up yet?!" Daniel shouted as he stepped inside, Vala right behind him.

The form sprawled on the couch jumped with all the noise. A muffled curse was the only answer the 'wake-up' committee got in response.

"Sorry, didn't catch that?" Voice still loud, Daniel moved into the kitchen. He placed his cup and cigarette on the counter, smiling at Vala, who had taken a seat at the table. She was shaking her head, but smiling nonetheless.

There was shifting on the couch. "S'id fugoff." A voice slurred from its hidden side.

Daniel laughed, already moving to get Vala her own cup of coffee. "My, ain't we touchy this morning?" There was some kind of disgruntled noise from the couch. Daniel grinned and carried the now full cup of coffee to Vala. She took it gratefully, letting her cigarette rest in the ashtray on the table.

"Now I'm gonna get more rude." Daniel whispered to her as she took a sip, then moved over to the couch and rolled over the edge.

Vala couldn't help from laughing as there was a mix of groans, curses, and Daniel's cheery words that followed. Finally, the sounds all came to a stop as a loud thump resounded through the floorboards.

She watched as Daniel appeared from the floor, looking down as he fixed his shirt. He was slightly breathless and smiling.

"That's whatcha get for givin' me shit yesterday." He breathed, pointing a finger to the floor before making his way back to the kitchen. He picked up his cup and cigarette, sipping the drink before taking a drag. Daniel put them down on a different part of the counter, next to the fridge.

Vala looked from him to the living room, where a rather disheveled looking Cam was clumsily levering himself up with the couch. He didn't cast a glance towards the kitchen as he flopped back onto the couch.

"So," Daniel's voice brought her attention back around again. He had pulled out a carton of eggs and some milk, and was putting a pan on the stove. "What did ya have in mind to do today?"

She shrugged as he looked over his shoulder at her, pulling a final drag from her cigarette. "I figured I'd just have myself a learnin' experience - let ya'll go about your business, and I'd observe."

Daniel nodded. "It's a good idea, in theory." Sensing her confusion, he looked back at her and smiled, almost apologetically. "Considerin' the state of them two," He jerked his head towards the couch and, in turn, Jack's house. "Today is gonna be a 'sleep it off' kinda day. Which means the floor is open to suggestions for what we could do to stem boredom."

"You could work on Ol' Blue." Vala said with a smile.

Cracking two eggs over a bowl he'd pulled out, Daniel shrugged. "I could - just figured since you're new in town you'd like to take it all in."

Vala got up from her chair and moved to stand next to him. "You'd give up on showin' your baby some tender lovin' for me?" She picked up the milk, and poured a splash into the bowl.

He gave her a quick look, then shrugged again like it was nothing. "You're Cam's girl, so..." Daniel regretted saying the words like he had instantly. Vala didn't seem to notice anything as she reached for the bread further down the counter.

"Where's the cinnamon?" She asked, opening up cabinets in search of it. "Ah, found it." Vala moved up next to him again and popped the top off the spice. "Maybe you could properly introduce me to the town?"

Daniel looked at her, jumping right into helping him make breakfast. He couldn't help but smile. "I could do that." She grinned and poured a liberal amount of cinnamon into the bowl. As she mixed it with a whisk she'd pulled from a cup holding several other cooking utensils, Daniel couldn't help from voicing the question in his head.

"Vala..." He dipped a piece of bread into the batter, then dropped it into the pan on the stove. It began sizzling immediately. She 'hmmm'ed as she moved back to the table to pick up her coffee. "Was there any time that you and Cam..."

Vala leaned her hip against the counter and looked at Daniel. His gaze was focused on making them french toast, but she could see the uncertainty fighting to shine through. She smiled softly, shaking her head.

"Maybe in some other universe somewhere..." As Daniel finally looked up at her curiously, she shrugged. "We'd have to be two completely different people - Cam's like my brother."

Daniel nodded and went back to his task.

Vala had her own question. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh..." Daniel picked the piece of bread up with a spatula, scooping it onto the plate he'd set out. "It was just somethin' I had been wonderin'."

She nodded, smiling into her coffee cup.

As Daniel moved to cook another piece, he bit down on his bottom lip to hide his own relieved smile.

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	5. The Other Time

**The Other Time**

"I swear to God..." Cam muttered, watching the scene at the pool table before him. "How many damn times am I gonna have to tell him-"

"Tell him what?" Sam questioned as she wiped down the bar top, moving closer to Cameron as he leaned back on his stool against the polished wood. Her pale blue eyes followed the direction of his gaze, right to the pair pressed close together as they leaned over the pool table, laughing.

Cam shook his head, glaring right at Daniel. "You know how he is, Sam." He swiveled around on his stool to face her. "He hooks them and he treats them like his for maybe a week, sometimes two, then he moves on. He don't have relationships, he has dates." Blue eyes glanced over a shoulder. "And yet she fell the moment her eyes landed on him."

Stopping in her cleaning, Sam looked at him. "You gotta cut Daniel some slack - you know better then most that he's been burned bad in the past, and that's affected how he is now."

"Yeah, I know." Cam muttered, running his finger over the rim of his glass of coke. "I know he just returns what's been given to him before..." He looked at them at the pool table again. "But if he burns her, I'll kill him..."

Unaware of the looks Cam was shooting him, Daniel continued to laugh as he 'helped' show Vala how to make the difficult shot on the table.

"So, I lean like..." Vala shifted into him slowly, causing his breath to catch. "This?"

He laughed brokenly and nodded. "Exactly." Daniel ran his hand down the length of Vala's outstretched arm, brushing his fingers over hers holding the pool cue. "Just relax your fingers, take aim...eyes on the cue ball, and..." He stood up slowly, letting her take the shot.

The cue ball hit its intended target perfectly, sending it bouncing off one wall and right into the proper pocket. Vala squealed, turning around to meet Daniel's grinning face. She flung her arms around his neck. His strong arms immediately wrapped around her waist, lifting her up slightly.

After a minute, he put her down and she placed a kiss to his neck. When she had first come to live with them, it had been an action that would throw him off guard - now that she'd been there almost three months, it was just another part of his everyday life.

"You two neckin' again?" Jack's gruff, amused voice coming up behind them had them spinning around.

Daniel stepped away from Vala quickly. "No, we ain't neckin."

"We ain't even together." Vala added immediately, conveniently avoiding Jack's gaze by moving back to the pool table. She flicked a look to Cam, who was giving her a stern glare. Grey eyes looked down at the pool table.

"Right." Jack pulled the word out for a long minute, looking from Vala's back to Daniel's averted gaze. He laughed as a grin formed on his lips, shaking his head. "Whatever you two say..."

As he moved over to the bar, distracting Cam from the pair, Daniel moved to the pool table, though he stood a few steps away from Vala.

She held out the pool cue. "It's your shot." Her eyes didn't meet his as he took the stick. Vala walked over to the table their drinks were on, and picked up her soda to take a deep drink.

Daniel let out a ragged breath. He knew it was actually still her shot, but didn't want to end up in the same position they were in just moments before. All of their friends seemed to imply some kind of relationship was going on between them. As much as he wanted that, which was a scary fact in itself, Vala didn't seem open to the idea. Maybe it was his reputation with women that was scaring her away - which suddenly made Daniel regret his behavior with the fairer sex in the past.

Leaning down to take his shot, he'd just struck the cue ball when the door to the bar swung open, the bells hanging above it ringing merrily. And yet, the person coming in was anything but. In fact, Daniel noted with concern as he looked up, she was quite upset.

Everybody else's gaze fell on Janet as she took the stool next to Cam's, snatching the newly lit cigarette from his mouth and taking a drag from it herself. He knew better than to protest as he saw how badly her hands were shaking as she held it between her fingers.

"Janet, what's wrong?" Daniel asked as he and Vala came up to the bar. He took a seat on the stool to her right, facing her. Vala placed a hand on the trembling woman's shoulder.

Janet flitted a nervous look his direction before looking directly at Sam. "I need a shot."

Sam blinked and looked up at Jack, who was standing behind Janet. He nodded just a fraction, and the blonde reached under the bar and pulled out the bottle and shot glass that was always there.

There was no hesitation in Janet's movements as she grabbed the bottle and glass from Sam. Hands still shaking, she undid the cap and filled the little cup until it was overflowing. With one quick motion, she brought the glass to her lips and tossed back the alcohol.

Taking a drag from the cigarette, she moved to pour another shot. Again some spilled over the sides, and again she drank it down like water. Then she moved to do it again.

The others all shared a concerned look as Janet tossed back the third shot. It was when, with hands still shaking, she moved to take a fourth, that Daniel reached out and gently placed his hands over her own.

"Alright, easy." He stood up and carefully pulled the bottle and glass away from her. He handed them off to Sam, who placed them back under the bar. Daniel looked down at Janet as she puffed on the cigarette like it was a lifeline. "What happened, Janet?"

She looked at him quickly again, then dropped her brown-eyed gaze to the bar. "I...just got back from seeing my lawyer."

Cam leaned forward on his stool. "And?"

Janet looked at him, tears starting to well in her eyes. "And she said that bastard got out."

"What?!" Both Jack and Daniel shouted at the same time.

She took another drag as she nodded. "She told me he was released two days ago."

"Two _days_ ago, and you're just findin' out about this now?" Cam looked from Janet to Daniel.

He shook his head. "I think the real question is how the _hell_ did that asshole get set free in the first place?" Blue eyes roamed around the faces surrounding him. Vala's expression was one of confusion, but he could tell she knew better than to ask right then. "Wasn't he s'pose to have thirty years?"

Janet chewed on her thumb nail. "Apparently he got out on..." She quoted with her fingers. "Good behavior."

Jack let out a disbelieving, sarcastic laugh. "Good behavior's ass - the fucker probably bribed out his ass to get set free..." Daniel scowled, and Jack knew he was probably right. He placed a hand on Janet's back. "Did she say where he'd gone?"

She shook her head. "She told me she don't know where he left to, or where he might be now." The tears finally spilled over as she told them that little detail. Janet buried her face in her hands. Silence filled the bar around her as she cried, Vala rubbing her shoulder even though she had no idea what was going on.

Finally Jack spoke again. "Hey..." He pressed himself up against Janet's back, wrapping his arms around her waist. She continued to cry. "Hey..." He said again, pressing his cheek into her hair. Nobody saw envy quickly flash across Sam's face. "It's gonna be alright."

"How can you say that?" Janet sobbed, slamming her hands onto the bar top. "After everything he did - everything he can do, and you say it's gonna be alright?!"

Jack nodded. "I can say that 'cause I know it." He squeezed her tight. "It's gonna be alright 'cause we ain't gonna let him get close enough to do anything." Both Cam and Daniel nodded adamantly. "See, you got them two hell hounds to fight him off."

She found she couldn't laugh at his attempt at humor. "But they were here before - all of ya'll were here before, and he still managed to-" She couldn't bring herself to finish the statement.

Daniel stepped a little closer. "See, that was because he cut you off from us." He looked up at Jack. "We can guarantee that ain't gonna happen again."

"Yeah." The older man nodded. "'Cause you and Cassie are gonna come stay at my house for a long while - at least until he tries to come here and we deal with him." Jack gave another gentle squeeze. "Come on, girl. I'm always here to protect my little sis and her kid."

Instead of finding comfort in the words, Janet found even more fear. "God, what if comes here and tries to finish what he started?!" She brought her hands to her face again. "I couldn't protect her before, how can I protect her now? He could be here, now, and I can't stop him from getting to her-"

Daniel pulled down her hands, giving her an urgent look. "Where is Cassie now, Janet?"

"She's at school..." Janet mumbled, and before she could tell him no, Daniel was heading for the door. Vala raced after him.

"I'm goin' with you." She said simply, and he gave a curt nod.

--

"Where are we goin'?" Vala asked as Daniel pulled onto the road that lead into the bigger town of Shelby.

He was busy lighting a cigarette as he drove. "All the closest schools are in Shelby." Daniel mumbled around the cigarette. "And I ain't havin' Cassie be all the way out there without someone to keep an eye on things."

Daniel tossed his lighter into one of the empty dash compartments, then rolled down his window. As he rested his elbow in the windowsill, he threw a look to Vala. She was watching him in that way that he'd come to know as 'curious yet uncertain.'

"You don't have to tell me anything, if ya don't want to." She said as if she'd read his mind. "After seein' how upset Janet was, I can only imagine how you, or the others, feel. I don't wanna pry-"

He couldn't help a small smile. "I don't think we can consider it pryin' if you're part of the family now. I'm sure I can trust ya with this..."

Vala nodded. "Ya know you can."

"So I guess now is that other time I was talkin' about way back when..." Daniel sighed, relaxing a little into his seat. He pulled from his cigarette, keeping his gaze out on the road as he began.

"'Bout nine years ago, this guy Roland came blazin' into town."

Vala caught the dark look in his blue eyes as he said the name.

"He was one of those big city types lookin' for a change - said he needed to slow his life down and learn to enjoy the simpler things..." Daniel shook his head, letting out sound that was a mix between a sigh and a growl. "I knew he was trouble when I first laid eyes on him." He looked at Vala. "Ya know, that there was just somethin' wrong with this guy?"

She nodded.

Daniel looked back to the road, taking another drag. "But Janet..." He had to smile as he remembered Janet's face when she'd first seen Roland. "Janet fell hard for him. And that just made me wanna be wrong 'bout him even more 'cause, damn, she loved him."

He looked at Vala again. "Loved him to the point where she thought he could do no wrong - which is just plain dangerous to think. Janet let him knock her up." Daniel shook his head. "She'd always said she wanted to wait and be married before she thought 'bout kids, but Roland just up and got through her defenses, and she wound up pregnant."

"'Course she was able to convince him to marry her. He hated the idea of bein' tied down, and that right there should'a tipped Janet off, but she was so damn _blind_ by her love for him." Daniel smacked his hand hard against the steering wheel.

Vala shifted in her seat, not really thrown by his anger. "Didn't you try and warn her?"

He nodded, flicking his spent cigarette angrily out the window. "I lost count of how many times I tried. She just refused to listen - thought I was being stubborn and overprotective, thought all of us were bein' like that. Said she could read people, and she'd read Roland as nothin' but good."

"But it wasn't good when we started seein' less and less of her after she had Cassie." Daniel looked at Vala sadly. "This was when Janet's mama was still with us, and it was starting to take it's toll on her. Her and Janet were always so close, and this Roland was comin' between that."

He breathed in deeply and looked out at the road again. "And when we did see her, we could see how much of her had changed. She was always covered up, no matter the heat outside, and she always jumped or flinched at the slightest touch."

Daniel sighed. "It tore her mom to pieces, and nearly broke Jack." He looked at Vala for a moment. "Him and Janet have been like brother and sister since they could walk - they've always been open with each other, always huggin' and wrestlin'. It hit him hard that she wouldn't let him touch her."

"I'm takin' it there was a final straw?" Vala asked after a very long silence from Daniel.

He laughed, but it was anything but humorous. "You could say that."

_Daniel lay sprawled along the couch, his eyes barely registering what flickered across the tv screen. He'd recently gotten over a pretty nasty stomach virus, and was cooped up inside due to the heat. Jack had refused to let him help out, saying he was still too weak to do any serious work on the property with the temperature being over 100. _

_Sighing in boredom, he figured a nap would be the best way to pass the time. Flopping over, crossing his arms and burying his face into the couch cushions, Daniel let the drone of the tv help him drift off. _

_He didn't know how long he slept, though he vaguely remembered the front door opening and closing a handful of times, and Cam's hand against his forehead, checking him for fever. In the end, it was the shrill call of his cell phone that had woken him completely. _

_Groggily pushing himself up, Daniel fumbled for the cell on the coffee table. It was about on its last ring when he pushed the on button and brought it to his ear. _

_"Hello?" He mumbled into the mouthpiece stifling a yawn behind his hand. Nothing but silence returned and he ran a hand through his hair. "Helloooo?" Temper still short from having been sick, Daniel growled into the phone. "Look, if nobody's gonna say somethin', I'm hangin'-"_

_"Daniel?" A muffled, sobbing voice came through the speaker. _

_He sat up straight, now fully awake. "Janet?" _

_A choked laugh was the answer. "Yep." _

_"Janet, what's a matter?" Daniel reached forward and used the remote to flick off the tv. If her voice was anything to go by, he knew something bad had happened. There was a long silence that had his heart skipping several beats. "Janet, you alright?" _

_This time, a choked sob came over the line. Daniel ran his hand through his hair again. _

_"Talk to me, Jan..." Daniel whispered into the phone, his desperation overwhelming. _

_She sniffed. "He...Roland...he hit me...bad."_

_Anger suddenly mixed in with all his already taxed emotions. Daniel fought hard to keep it from his voice as he spoke. "How bad, Janet?" He was already heading for his room to fetch the keys to his truck. _

_"There's...lots of blood...I can't get up." He hated how defeated and weak she sounded - Janet had always been the tough big sister. "I need help, Daniel...Cassie-"_

_He froze in his tracks, hand hovering over the knob to the front door. "What about Cassie?" _

_Janet was sobbing again. "I told her to run - she did, but after he was done with me he went to find her. I don't know where she is, Daniel. I don't know what he's done to her."_

_Daniel threw open the door, not bothering to close it as he ran from the house and to his truck. He didn't even stop to tell Jack and Cam what had happened as he sped off down the driveway._

"You don't have to tell me anymore." Vala said softly, leaning over to gently brush her fingers along his hand gripping the steering wheel.

Daniel pulled in a deep breath, looking at her with tear-filled blue eyes. "No, you need to know this. Janet and Cassie need you to know this."

_Daniel's truck jerked to an abrupt stop outside of the secluded house Janet had moved into with Roland. Daniel had known it was such a stupid idea to let her be taken so far away - he'd known right from the beginning. _

_Jumping out of the truck, leaving the door open, he raced up the gravel walk and the wooden porch steps. The screen door was the only thing blocking his entrance into the house, and he pushed that open quickly. It gave off a metallic clang hitting the wall, but wasn't enough to break Daniel from his sudden state of shock. _

_The house was a wreck - furniture overturned, lamps smashed on the floor, pictures and papers strewn all about. _

_The sound of coughing from the back of the house snapped Daniel out of his stupor. He barely registered the sound of other vehicles pulling up in the driveway as he made his way down the hall, stepping over various broken picture frames and toys. _

_He stopped outside the master bedroom, staring for a moment at the partially closed door. _

_"Holy crap!" Cam's voiced shouted from the living room. _

_Daniel left them to the mess in there as he pushed on the door. It didn't budge but a few inches, so he gave it a hard shove with his shoulder. Whatever was blocking it groaned and slowly the opening in front of him got big enough for him to pass through comfortably. _

_It only took a moment for his eyes to land on Janet. She was on the floor to the right of the bed, her back up against the mattress. Legs folded underneath her and her blouse torn, she was holding her already blood-covered hand to her still bleeding nose. _

_"Shit..." Daniel whispered, rushing to sit down in front of her. The fact that she flinched the moment she saw him hurt him in a way that was unexplainable. "Hey, it's alright. It's me." _

_Janet's face was swollen and puffy, her eyes bloodshot. "I'm sorry." _

_Daniel shook his head. "No, this ain't your fault." He pulled off his checkered overshirt, bunching it. Gently, he took her hand away from under her nose replaced it with his shirt. She winced, tears spilling over her cheeks. _

_"What the fuck?" Jack's booming voice in the bedroom doorway caused Janet to sob and pull tighter into herself. Daniel threw him a reprimanding glare, squeezing Janet's hand. Jack paled slightly and let Cam push past him. _

_"Jesus, Janet..." Cameron breathed as he sat down by Daniel. "What happened?" _

_She just shook her head, dropping it some and crying more. _

_Daniel looked from Cam to Jack, who had slowly moved into the room, then back at Janet. "It's alright, Janet - it's just us...you can tell us." _

_"Not 'til you find her." Janet mumbled back, looking up suddenly like she'd just remembered. "God, he went after her Daniel. I told her to run, and she did. I couldn't stop him, and he ran after her." _

_"Where did she run?" Daniel asked quietly, ignoring the soft curses from both Jack and Cam. _

_Janet was pleading with her eyes. "Through the bathroom door." _

_Jack was the first to react, running across the room and into the bathroom. He threw open the door and stepped out on the porch there. Daniel wasn't far behind him, having left Janet in Cam's capable hands. _

_The two men didn't talk to each other as they sprinted down the steps and out across the lawn, towards the trees that surrounded the property. _

_Daniel was the first to start calling out to the little girl. "Cassie!" _

_Jack quickly followed suit. "Cassie!" He called as he headed in the opposite direction of Daniel through the trees. _

_"Cassie, baby, it's okay!" Daniel gently stepped through the trees, fearful of spooking the five year old. "It's okay to come out now." Jack's voice got more and more faint as each moved their separate ways deeper into the forest. _

_Daniel stopped in a circular clearing in the trees, looking in a circle as his boots crunched on the leaf-covered ground. _

_"Cassie, it's alright. It's me - It's Daniel." His voice was gentle as he called, trying to coax the little girl out from any hiding spot. Of course the thought that she wouldn't be coming out nagged from the back of his mind, but he refused to dwell on it. "Please, you know I would never hurt you hunny." _

_Looking at the ground, he let out a quiet sob. "Cassie, please..." He whispered to himself, terror starting to take hold. _

_The gentle crunch of leaves off to his right had his head snapping up. Daniel let out a whoosh of air at the sight of the red-haired little girl standing just on the edge of the clearing, her clothes muddy and wet, but nonetheless intact. Arms hanging at her sides, she was watching him with tears flooding her eyes. _

_Daniel dropped to his knees and held his arms out to her. Cassie let out a gentle sob and ran into his arms. He immediately crushed her to his body, rocking her as she clung to him desperately. _

_"It's okay, Cassie." Daniel whispered into her ear. "You're safe now." Standing up, bracing her to him, he called out. "Jack! Jack, I've got her!" Even with the distance between them, Daniel immediately heard Jack start crashing through the trees, heading their direction. _

_The older man skidded to a stop as soon as he saw the pair. "Jesus Christ." Jack whispered, quietly stepping up to Daniel and Cassie. Daniel could see the tears in Jack's eyes. _

_"You okay, widget?" Jack whispered as he placed a hand in Cassie's hair. _

_She nodded, sniffing. "He hurt mommy." Cassie whispered, looking desperately between Jack and Daniel. "He hit her and she yelled, and she took me into her room and tried to block the door. But he got in, and she told me to run." She started to cry some more. "I could hear him hurting her." _

_Daniel pulled her closer again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."_

_"Then I heard him yelling my name, and I hid." She clung to Daniel as he started carrying her back to the house. _

_"That's very good, Cass." Jack said, not hiding his pride in her. "You did the right thing." _

_Cassie sniffed and rested her head on Daniel's shoulder. "I didn't want him to hurt her." _

_Daniel looked at Jack as they continued to walk. "Neither did we, Cassie." _

He broke off from the past as the sign for Shelby came into view. As they pulled into town, Vala couldn't meet Daniel's eyes. She stared out the window, fighting hard at the tears stinging in her eyes. Over the short time that she'd lived with them, Janet and Cassie had quickly become quite close to her. Janet was indeed the cool older sister, and Cassie had the quickest mind - which made for some good mischief. Vala just couldn't imagine why any man would want to hurt two such beautiful women like that.

"There it is." Daniel's voice was gruff as he looked at the elementary school nestled between two small clumps of trees. He pulled into the small parking lot outside the front building, shutting off the engine and climbing out.

Vala followed, trailing him inside the building. They walked a short distance down the big hallway, with a polished tile floor, turning right into the main office. An elderly woman looked up from behind the front counter as they entered.

"Well, well, look who it be." She quipped, peering over her glasses at Daniel. "Trouble done blew back into town."

"Hey Miss Gracie." Daniel said with a smile, though it lacked his usual charm.

Gracie pulled off her glasses and grinned mischievously. "Daniel Jackson - Last time I saw you, you and that Cameron was stumblin' 'round the Wingfest, lit like a fire and causin' quite the ruckus - much like ya'll's days in this here school."

Resting his arms on the countertop, Daniel shook his head. "We just know how'ta have a good time - though I can say we didn't start gettin' drunk on campus least 'til eighth grade..."

The older woman chuckled. "Oh, Bethany has told me them stories."

"I'm sure she has." Daniel smiled, and didn't let it fall as he moved into the matter at hand. "And as much as I'd love to recall those tales, I need to ask a favor of ya..."

Gracie sat up a little straighter. "What kind of favor?"

Daniel's smile fell away, his face growing serious. "Need ya to tell me if anybody's come in askin' to pick up Cassandra Fraiser."

"Now Daniel, ya know I can't-"

Moving around the counter, Daniel knelt down by her chair. "Gracie, please. I need to know if anyone's come for Cassie."

Gracie saw the desperation in those young blue eyes. "My ass could be fried for this..." She sighed, turning towards her computer screen and slipping her glasses back on. "Cassandra Fraiser, you say?"

Daniel nodded. "Yep."

"Ain't that Janet's little girl?" Gracie asked distractedly, trying to pull up visitor records.

Again, Daniel nodded. "It is." He looked up at Vala, who was now leaning on the counter.

Gracie pulled off her glasses again as the appropriate screen came up. She looked at Vala for a curious moment before looking at Daniel. "Who other than Janet would be comin' for that girl?" At the look on Daniel's face, Gracie frowned. "Daniel, why you here?"

"Did anybody come for her?" Daniel asked, looking past Gracie at the computer screen. When the woman just continued to frown, Daniel pleaded with her. "Please, this is very important."

Sighing again, Gracie looked at the monitor. "I'm seein' no record of any person comin' to pick her up."

Both Daniel and Vala breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now are you two gonna tell me what's goin' on?" Gracie looked back and forth between them, her gaze lingering on Vala.

Daniel stood up and moved around to her side. "Would if we could, Gracie. Right now, though, you need to call Cassie in here."

Gracie scowled. "Daniel..."

He held up his hand. "I know I'm not on her list of safe contacts, but trust me, she knows me well, and she knows Vala here too - You know me...I need to talk to Cassie."

With another reluctant sigh, Gracie picked up the phone and called the teacher who had Cassie in her class. It wasn't five minutes before the young girl was escorted into the office by one of the school security cards.

"Daniel, Vala?" Cassie said, confused. "What are you guys doin' here?"

Daniel moved to Cassie and knelt down before her. "Cassie, I need you to listen to me carefully, alright?"

She pouted as he gently gripped her arms. "I'm listenin', Daniel."

"We just found out that someone bad who should be locked away forever got out two days ago."

Cassie's eyes widened as she understood who Daniel meant. "But everyone promised me that wouldn't happen."

He nodded, brushing a hand through her hair. "I know, Cassie. I know what we all said, but this happened way beyond our control. But there are things we can do to keep what happened from happenin' again."

"What things?" Cassie asked quietly, reaching out to grip Daniel's hand.

Daniel squeezed back gently. "I want you to be ready to run, like you did before. Run to a place you know is safe and he don't know about. Make it so we can find you, but he can't, just like the last time. I'm gonna do things here to make it so he can't take you, but ya know that might not stop him." He looked up at Vala.

She knelt down next to him. "I'm gonna give you my cell phone, okay?" As Cassie nodded, Vala pulled the phone out of her pocket and placed it in the small hand. "I want you to keep this with you always until we can get you your own. If he comes after you, and you run, as soon as you get the chance, you call someone. Daniel, Cam, Jack, your mama, and even T and Sam are already in there."

"What 'bout mama?" Cassie asked, looking between them.

Daniel stroked her arm. "Your mama is scared, 'specially for you. But Jack and everybody back home are makin' it so she won't have to be scared." He nodded as she nodded slowly. "Alright, me and Vala are gonna be the ones takin' you home today - one of us will be waitin' for you as soon as you come out the door."

"Okay." Cassie said quietly, hugging Daniel tightly. He hugged her back, then released her so she could give Vala a hug. As she pulled back from her, Cassie looked into her grey eyes. "Can you walk me back to class?"

Smiling reassuringly, Vala nodded. "Of course." With an approving nod from Daniel, Vala took Cassie's hand and let the little girl lead her out of the office. The security guard followed behind them.

Daniel stood back up and walked back to the counter. Gracie was watching him expectantly.

"A man named Roland Collins might try to pick Cassie up." He said, looking at her seriously. "He _is_ listed in her information as her father, but whatever you do, do _not_ let him take her. He has no custody of her, and he will hurt her if he gets her."

Gracie's eyes widened. "Her own father would hurt her?"

Daniel nodded. "He tried it once before, and 'bout got away with it. That bein' said..." He grabbed a pen and a pad of post-its on the countertop, and began to write. "If anybody comes to pick her up that ain't on this list I'm writin' down, you page security immediately. You get word to Cassie's teacher to get Cassie in a safe place, and then you call me." He ripped the sticky note off the pad and handed it to her. "My number is on the bottom."

As she took the note, Daniel continued. "I'm gonna stay parked outside until school lets out - so I'll be keepin' an eye out, but there's no guarantee he won't slip past."

"If this guy is such a menace, why don't ya just take her home?" Gracie asked.

Daniel smiled slightly. "'Cause Cassie would kill me for makin' her miss class - she loves to learn." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Just keep an eye out, please. I don't know what we'd do if he got her."

With that, Daniel turned to head back to his truck.

"Just how bad is this guy?" Gracie asked, causing him to stop in the doorway.

Hard blue eyes looked back at her. "Think the worst."

--

Daniel's attention turned to the passenger door as Vala climbed back in the truck. She'd made a run to the convenience store across the street from the elementary school, stocking up for their 'stake out.'

"I got two cokes, in classic bottles of course, four chili dogs, couple bags of candy, Marlboro's, twinkies, ho-ho's, and a handful of assorted chips." Vala looked up from the bag as she finished listing off her purchases, glancing at Daniel for approval.

He smiled softly. "Sounds perfect." He slouched down a little in the seat, turning his eyes back toward the front of the school. He'd already called Jack and told him what he'd told Cassie and Gracie, and that they'd be home sometime that afternoon.

As she handed him a chili dog, Vala asked. "So what happened after you found Cass?"

Daniel took a big bite out of the chili dog, some chili dribbling onto his chin. Vala reached out with her napkin and wiped it away. He set the dog down and licked his fingers as he started to speak.

"We took Janet to the hospital, of course." He accepted the coke bottle from her with a nod, looking back out of the truck. "Doctor said she came away with a busted nose, three broken ribs, broken ankle and wrist, and bruisin' that would give any boxer a run for his money."

Vala bit into her own chili dog. "What 'bout Cassie?" She mumbled with her mouth full.

Sighing, Daniel looked at her. "Just a few scrapes from runnin' through the woods, thank god."

The sound of tearing filled the small cab as Vala ripped open a bag of doritos. She dumped the contents into the middle of the seat, making them easily accessible to both of them. "Did Janet ever tell you everything that happened?"

He nodded, snatching a chip and popping it in his mouth. "Oh, she told us that night in her hospital room."

"You got pissed." Vala stated, telling by the look on his face.

Blue eyes found grey. "I got pissed."

_"He came into the house..." Janet mumbled, lying on her side on her hospital bed. Sam was gently gripping her hand as she retold the actions that had landed her in her current position. The others were gathered around the room, Daniel holding up the doorframe with crossed arms. _

_"I could tell he'd been drinkin', and I knew what would be in store for me." The men in the room exchanged heated glances before returning their focus to Janet. "But instead of makin' for me, he started in on Cassie. He was holding her in his lap, his rough hands..." Janet choked back a sob. "Moving slowly up her shirt." _

_"I lost it..." Some conviction found its way into her voice. "He could do to me all he wanted, but there was no way I was gonna let him violate my little girl. I pulled Cassie away from him, then went at him." _

_She sniffed. "Didn't take him long to overpower me..." Her brown eyes found Jack's. "But ya'll know I've been taught a few dirty moves, so I got the upper hand just long enough to get Cassie into the bedroom, and move the dresser to block the door."_

_"'Course he started to fight that, and I told her to run." Janet cried into the pillow. "She'd just made it out the bathroom door when he got through the bedroom one. He came after me first..." _

_Daniel had heard enough. Anger boiling beyond containment, he pushed off the doorframe and quickly made his way down the hall. He didn't even bother with the elevator, using his mood to propel him down the stairs at an alarming speed. Pushing open the door to the stairwell, he stalked out of the building and to his truck. _

_He was just reaching for his shotgun on his gunr ack when the others came up behind him. Daniel turned around, cocking the gun loudly in the open air of the hospital parking lot. _

_"I dare ya'll to try and stop me." He said in a warning tone, the gun feeling good in his hands. Footsteps from behind had him looking across the hood of his truck. T leaned his elbows down on the hood, his hands twisting on his wooden baseball bat. He blew a bubble with his gum, popping it loudly. Daniel returned his attention to Jack and Cam. _

_The two men looked at Daniel and T-man, then at each other. Like some silent understanding, both moved off at the same time, each grabbing their own favored shotguns from the gun racks of their trucks. They walked back over to Daniel and cocked them at the same time. _

_Daniel lifted an eyebrow. "Let's go show this cityman how we do things proper 'round here." _

--

"So did you?" Vala asked, popping M&Ms into her mouth. As Daniel looked at her, she continued. "Show him how to do things proper?"

The laugh Daniel gave was genuine, and he grinned. "We sure as hell did. Showed up at the house, where he'd been stupid enough to go back to, and showed him some true country luvin'" He shook his head, pulling on the cigarette he'd lit as he'd told his story. "I'll never forget the sight of him, cowering on his back with his hands raised up, blood comin' from his nose."

"He was scared shitless...guess seein' four pissed off rednecks comin' after you with shotguns and a bat will do that to someone."

Vala laughed a little. "I take it you gave him a message."

Daniel nodded, face growing serious again. "Told him no man ever laid his hands on a woman, or violated his own daughter. Then I said if I caught him anywhere near Janet or Cassie again, I'd kill him for sure next time. Then Cam called the cops, and had his ass taken away."

He shook his head. "I just can't believe such a fuck up could get out." Daniel sighed and stuck his head out the window. "What the fuck is this world comin' to?!" He shouted, attracting stares from people walking down the street.

"Shit." He cursed again, settling back in the truck. "Soon as we get home, and we get Cassie settled, I'm gonna need the biggest bottle of whiskey to chase this day away."

Vala leaned over and took the cigarette from his lips. As he looked at her, she took a drag and grinned.

"You won't be chasin' alone."

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	6. Confrontations

**Confrontations**

A bright moon shined down pale white light over a clearing in the middle of densely packed trees. If it had been any other night, the sound of crickets chirping, a creak babbling off in the distance, the crunching of leaves as the animals of night came to life after a day full of rest would've been heard.

Instead the humid night air was shattered with the ranting of one woman who'd had more than her fair share to drink already.

"I jus' don' gedit, Daniel!" Whether Vala knew her words were starting to slur together, Daniel really couldn't tell. What he did know was she was plenty drunk and swaying dangerously as she stood on the hood of his truck. It was making him beyond nervous, but she'd already smacked away his attempt to get her down or, at the least, steady her.

Now his main focus was to get the bottle of whiskey he'd secretly swiped from Jack's house out of her hand. It was a harder task than it seemed, seeing as he wasn't exactly sober himself and she was swinging it around wildly. He wasn't sure if the fact that the only reason whiskey wasn't spilling out of the bottle was because it was nearly empty was a good or bad thing.

"How can a man thin' he can just up and geddaway with hittin' a woman?" Vala asked him vehemently, point at him with the hand holding the bottle. "Huh? Tell me, Daniel! Tell me how you guys can jus' geddaway with smakin' a girl 'round!" She swung an arm out wide, nearly toppling over into the grass.

Daniel jumped to wrap an arm around Vala to steady her. He was immediately rewarded with a hard kick to his shoulder for the effort.

"Owe! Dammit, Vala!" He stumbled back, rolling his shoulder and placing a hand over the sore area.

She glared at him. "Answer my damn ques'ion…" Her voice was low, and would've been menacing if not for more than half a bottle of whiskey coursing through her system.

Daniel stared up at her, still holding his shoulder. "I honestly don't know, alright? I don't know why a guy would do that." He held up his free hand to her. "Now, can you please get down?"

"Why? 'Fraid I'm gonna fall?" Vala asked playfully, almost doing exactly that. She snorted out a laugh, downing the last dregs of whiskey from the bottle.

Stepping up to the truck again, Daniel placed two hands on the edge of the hood and looked up at her with pleading blue eyes. "Yes, I am. I don't want ya to get hurt."

Vala blinked down at him, looking surprised by his words. "Oh…" It seemed like his truthfulness had won out because she squatted down clumsily. "Well, guess I can geddown then…" The bottle slipped from her hands, hitting the bumper with a loud clang before dropping to the ground and rolling a short distance. "Whoops."

Daniel moved around to help her as she about slipped off the front herself.

She held out a hand, frowning in a mix of frustration and concentration. "I godit." Vala slipped a little off the edge of the bumper as she was about down and ended up stumbling back into the truck. "Alrighty, I'm down now."

"Okay, I think we need to get back." Daniel said as he moved to pick up the lost bottle.

Vala weaved over to him. She flung her arm across his shoulder and leaned heavily into him. "Why?" She whined.

He looked down into her half-lidded eyes. "Well, one, ya drank all the booze…" Daniel held the bottle in her line of vision.

"Oh yeah…" She giggled back, dropping her arm to wrap around his. "Was the secon' reason?"

Daniel carefully and subtly began steering her towards the passenger side of the truck. Vala stumbled along beside him easily. He wanted to say because she was rip roarin' drunk and it upset him to see her so messed up and he just wanted to get her home, but Daniel knew better.

"'Cause it's just time to go home, alright?" He said instead.

She nodded, not caring anymore that he was holding onto her to help her up into the seat. "Soun's fine to me."

Daniel heaved an inward sigh of relief and closed her door. Moving around the other side, he climbed in, dropping the empty bottle on the seat next to him. As he slammed his door, he looked over at Vala. She was tracing random patterns into the torn fabric above her head. The grin on her face was beyond dopey and her eyes could hardly focus – damn, she was hammered.

Turning his attention to starting the truck, Daniel turned the key and moved to shift into the right gear. On a normal day, he could do it easily. But partially buzzed and worrying if Vala was gonna make it all the way home before being sick, because he was pretty positive she would be, Daniel had trouble getting it to go.

"Shit…" He mumbled, having to look down at the shift. He blinked as it blurred for a moment. A mass of black hair fell into his peripheral vision.

The smell of whiskey on her breath was strong as she spoke. "Ya 'kay to drive?"

Giving his head a shake to clear his vision, Daniel finally got it into gear. "Yeah, I'm fine." He wasn't going to even begin to give Vala the idea that she needed to drive. It wasn't the first time he'd driven under the influence before anyway, and he was way better off than she was. Carefully, he pulled the truck back onto the path that led through the trees out of the clearing. It was about a mile before he hit the back road that would slowly take them all the way back to town.

Daniel knew the truck wasn't weaving on the road – his hand was damn steady on the steering wheel. But his vision was swimming like crazy, and having Vala totally out of it and fucking around in the seat next to him wasn't helping him focus at all.

"Damn…" He brought his free hand up to rub at his eyes.

Vala, who had been unsuccessful in finding a working radio station, flopped back in her seat and laughed. "Daniel's druuuunk…" She poked her finger at him.

He shook his head. "No, Vala – I'm not drunk."

"I thin' you are…" She shifted closer to him, looking down as her thigh hit the bottle on the seat. "See, where'd all the alcohol go?" Laughing, she picked up the bottle and peered inside the little hole. "Hellloooo?"

Daniel grunted as she fell into him, laughing the entire way. Her head landed in his lap, and he shifted uncomfortably.

She snorted. "Well look whad I foun'…" Vala sing-songed, sitting up abruptly. She dropped the now unimportant bottle back onto the seat. A naughty grin split her mouth wide. "Wanna play some, Daniel?" Her hand reached out and not-too gently caressed between his legs.

"Vala, no." Daniel did his best to keep his composure. He grabbed her hand and shoved it away. "I'm not sober enough to drive and play."

Vala laughed. "Ah Ha!" She pointed at him again. "So ya are drunk!"

He nodded, if only to appease her. "A little." Blue eyes threw her a quick glance. "Now could ya please get back to your side and calm down."

Shrugging and smiling in victory, Vala flopped back to her side. Her eyes widened in slight wonder and she pointed ahead. "Look, lights."

Daniel, who had been watching her, looked forward and cursed. Up ahead, just past the road that led to the interstate, a bunch of cop cars had gathered at a car that had driven off the side of the road and into the ditch.

"That's the last thing I need right now…" Daniel mutter, casually tapping his brakes. The truck came to a stop at the stop sign at the intersection. "Shit, I really didn't wanna hav'ta take the interstate."

Clapping her hands, Vala moved to levy herself out of her window. "Alrighty – we'll jus' askem to let us through."

Daniel instantly leaned over and yanked her back down before she could start screaming for the cops' attention. "NO, VALA!" She yelped as her butt hit the seat, and turned a glare on him.

"Was that for? I'm jus' tryin' to help."

He fell back into his spot on the seat and quickly turned his truck down the road towards the interstate. They'd definitely attracted some notice with their little show, and Daniel really, _really_ didn't want another DUI. He'd been there, done that, several times.

Vala slapped him in the arm, hard. "Ya gonna answer me?!"

Blue eyes glared her direction as the truck pulled onto the interstate. "No, I'm not gonna answer you!"

"Why not?!" She gasped, crossing her arms.

Daniel laughed sarcastically. "Why not? WHY NOT? Because you're drunk outta your damn mind, that's why! And you just 'bout got us arrested back there!"

"Me?! I jus' 'bout got us arrested?!" Vala shouted, face filling with anger. "Las' I checked, I'm not the one drivin' drunk."

Shaking his head, Daniel kept his focus on the road. "Yeah, well there was no way in hell I was lettin' you drive. Hell, you can barely say two words without slurrin' them!"

Vala looked suddenly indignant. "An' so what? What does it matter to ya? You're the one who took me out there, an' gave me the whiskey!"

"I didn't expect you to drink the whole damn bottle, Vala!" Daniel argued. Before she could say anything in response, a flashing of blue and red in the truck rearview mirror had Daniel hitting the steering wheel. "Son of a bitch!"

He pulled the truck onto the shoulder, putting it into park. "Not one word, ya got me?" Daniel directed to Vala, pointing a finger at her. All she gave in response was a heated glare.

The crunching of the officer's boots on the gravel filtered through the window, and Daniel watched him approach in his side view mirror. Then the man was right at his window, leaning down.

"Yes, officer?" Daniel asked casually, hoping his breath wasn't as laced with whiskey as he hoped.

"I was noticin'-"

Before he could finish, Vala leaned across Daniel's lap. "Jus' noticin' how he's weavin' all over the road, huh? 'Cause, lemme tell ya, fat police man, Daniel here is totly gone, I mean compledly drunk." She accompanied her words with a sweeping hand gesture, smacking the cop's face in the process.

Daniel glared out the windshield, as the now red-faced officer ordered him out of the car. He unclipped his seatbelt, opening his door. Vala clamored out before him, practically falling on her face as she went. She sauntered off along the length of truck, humming in victory.

Slowly climbing out, Daniel turned a death glare on her.

"How much you kids been drinkin' tonight, son?" From the tone of the cop's voice, Daniel knew he was trying to get a rein on his anger. Maybe this could still work in his favor…

He looked back at the older man. "She's had a lot – which is obvious, but I swear I didn't have that much, sir. I'm okay to drive, honest."

The cop crossed his arms and fixed Daniel with a knowing stare. "Son, you're lookin' kinda tore up to me."

Daniel nodded reluctantly. "Okay, so I'm slightly buzzed, but you can believe me when I say I know my limits. I stopped when I realized she-" He threw an angry glance over to Vala, who was drunkenly gazing up at the stars. "Wasn't going to. Please, officer, just let me take her home. That's all I wanna do…"

"Yeah, pudgy boy…let him take me home…" Vala's voice was directly behind him, and then suddenly her hand was on his crotch again. Daniel groaned and moved to step away from her, but she stumbled into his back and caused him to stumble into the cop.

Daniel winced as the police officer's ass hit the pavement with a loud thwack. Vala's hysterical laughter didn't help matters whatsoever. He weaved in place, trying to regain his balance and keep Vala on her feet at the same time.

All the while the officer was glaring up at them, and Daniel knew his chance of avoiding a jail cell for the evening was effectively gone.

--

"Can you stop pacin', please?" Vala mumbled from where she lay on the jail cell bench. She'd sobered up a little on the way into the station – of course getting sick all over the back of the cop's car hadn't really made things better. But Daniel's pacing back and forth in front of her wasn't helping either. It was just going to make her sick again.

Daniel stopped for a moment to glare at her. "Makin' you nauseous?"

She nodded minutely.

"Good." He spat back, resuming his pacing.

Vala whined. "Daniel, please! Why do you havta be so damn heartless?"

His sarcastic laugh was loud and made the growing pain in her head spike. "Oh, I'm heartless?" Daniel moved over to the bench and knelt down in front of her. "Am I the one who's so wasted, I got us arrested? Am I the one who puked all over a cop's car? Do I smell like I fell in barrel of whiskey right now?"

Pushing up from the bench and paste him, Vala wobbled her way over to the cell bars. "I don' havta hear this…"

"Where ya gonna go, Vala?" Daniel laughed again, throwing his arms out wide. "We're in fuckin' jail! Now we're gonna have to wait for Jack to come pick our asses up because _you_ had to go and get shitfaced and get me arrested!"

She turned on him. "I wasn't the one drivin' the truck!"

Daniel nodded. "You're right there – I was. And thank god, 'cause if you'd been drivin', we'd probably be DEAD! Though we're pretty fuckin' close, at least I am, 'cause Jack is probably gonna skin me alive for this little adventure!"

He stepped closer to her, holding his hand in her direction. "Why couldn't you just keep your damn mouth shut for once? I would'a gotten out of this in five minutes, and we'd be home now! But no, you had to go and get back at me – for what, I don't know, but now here we are."

Vala nodded, regretting it immediately as her world swam. Still, she soldiered on. "Here we are, and you wanna know why?"

Daniel laughed and paced to the far side of the cell. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Maybe it's got somethin' to do with the fact that you practically ordered me to stay quiet!"

He looked at her in disbelief. "I did not order you, Vala."

It was her turn to laugh, and tears came unchecked to her eyes. "Yes you did! You ordered me to shut up, and it pissed me off 'cause I thought I was done bein' ordered around by men! But no, off you go, and now here we are!"

Daniel took a step back towards her. "What do you mean 'done bein'?" He asked quietly, suddenly concerned.

"Oh, don' play dumb with me, Daniel. All men are the same!" Vala spat, now crying outright. She rushed over to him, suddenly alert and focused do to her anger. "All ya'll wanna do is order women an' hit 'em, an' beat 'em into submission, and make 'em think they're shit!"

She punched a fist into his chest. Daniel stood there and took it, and each one that followed, surprised and upset by this turn of events. Vala continued to rant on as she hit him.

"Well, ya already made me feel like shit with your words, why not you're fists now, huh? What makes you so damn different, Daniel?!"

Daniel's common sense finally caught up with him and he took Vala by her upper arms. "Vala, stop!"

"Come on, hit me! Hit me, dammit!" She cried loudly, anguish and exertion making her face red. "I know ya wannna, Daniel – All men wanna. Just do it!" Even as much as she thought she was expecting it, Vala wasn't quite prepared for Daniel to force her back hard against the wall.

His hands burned like fire into her upper arms as he squeezed her tight. Tears streamed down from beneath her tightly closed eyelids – she didn't want to see his face when he did it.

"Open your eyes…" Daniel said.

Vala shook her head, refusing.

"Vala, please, open your eyes." The tone of his voice threw her. It was concerned and gentle, yet angry and filled with turmoil. The combination of it all was enough to get her to comply slowly.

When grey eyes finally looked into blue, the two stared at each other for a short period of time. Then, in an even more surprising move than before, Daniel leaned in and captured her lips in a fierce and passionate kiss. It was hot and painful and angry, but it sent Vala's head spinning in a way not even the whiskey could achieve.

Daniel could taste the harsh alcohol on her tongue as he plunged his deep into her mouth. He pushed her back against the wall even more, desperate to make this moment stick in her booze-drowned memories of the night. He wanted her to remember this, even if she remembered nothing else.

Both gasped as they separated, Vala's chest heaving rapidly against Daniel's. She slowly opened her shocked eyes to once again meet his gaze – where there were now tears beginning to burn.

"I will never, ever hit you, Vala." Daniel whispered desperately to her. "No matter how much you may think you piss me off or how close I seem to the edge, I promise you right here, right now that I will _never_ lay a hand on you like that. No woman deserves such treatment, 'specially not a beautiful creature like you."

Her lip began to quiver as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I don't know what's been done to you in the past…" His tears were just as free as hers. "But I can guarantee no one will _ever_ do it to you again in the future. I will never let anyone ever hurt you again, alright?"

Vala nodded quickly. Daniel nodded too, gently releasing his hold on her. She immediately collapsed into him, sobbing in a way she had never done in front of anyone. His arms wrapped around her, supporting her.

--

Jack stalked into the police station, after an hour's drive to get there, with every intention of ripping two new ones into his two _favorite_ people of the moment. He was thinking up wonderfully colorful expressions and words as one of the troopers lead him through the corridors to the back where the cells were.

He turned the corner, fully prepared to get into the inevitable shouting match with the trouble known as Daniel. But as his pissed brown gaze fell on the two figures on the bench in the only occupied cell, all those words and expressions fizzled out.

Daniel slowly looked up from brushing his fingers through Vala's long, messy hair. She had her head resting in his lap, and definitely looked far worse for wear than Jack ever could've imagined. When blue eyes met brown, the older man saw a hesitant and scared gaze meeting his.

He also saw a world weary look that nearly broke his heart.

Jack stepped up to the bars of the cell, and wrapped a hand around one. He rested his head against them.

"Y'all alright?"

Daniel looked down at Vala as he spoke. "She got sick again." They were three simple words, but Jack could seem to hear so much more in them.

He nodded against the bars. "Let's get you two home."

--

Pulling up in front of the guest house, Jack killed the ignition and looked back at the two in his back seat. Daniel had his eyes closed, and the older man wasn't sure if he was just dosing or really asleep. Vala, however, was definitely out of it. She'd barely been able to stumble from the cell to the truck – Jack knew she was definitely going to need to be carried inside.

Jack reached back and gently shook Daniel's knee. He carefully lifted his head off the seat and blinked slowly. "We're here."

Yawning, Daniel nodded and moved to shimmy his way out from under Vala's dead weight. She whimpered with the movement, and Daniel tried to be more careful as he climbed out of the truck.

"You got her?" Jack questioned with concern, knowing Daniel had been drinking that night too.

The younger man nodded absently, reaching into the truck and gingerly maneuvering Vala into a decent carrying position. She moaned, head falling forward and hair falling in her face as Daniel held her in a steady sitting position. He squatted and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You need to hold on." Daniel whispered to her as he leaned in to wrap his hands under her thighs. Vala nodded drunkenly, tightening her hold on him just as he levered her up and against his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, and with her legs dangling at his side, she looked like a giant kid.

Jack grimaced in sympathy. He placed a gentle hand on Vala's head as Daniel walked past. "Damn, she's trashed."

Daniel nodded, then slowly trudged his way towards the porch. When he reached them, he had to shift Vala's weight a little. She moaned into his neck, then quieted again as he climbed the stairs.

"You need me, just call." Jack said from the truck.

"I will." Daniel said back loudly, and Vala whimpered again as Jack pulled off towards the main house. "Sorry…almost there." He whispered, suddenly realizing he didn't have a way to open the door.

As if on cue, the front door swung open. Daniel steeled himself upon seeing one pissed of Cam Mitchell standing in the entrance. Ignoring the underlying tones to the look, Daniel pushed passed Cam and started carrying Vala back to his room.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" Cam said loudly, and Daniel felt Vala tense against him.

He tightened his hold and continued down the hall. "I didn't do nothin', man."

Cam was hot on his heels. "Sure as shit don't look like nothin'" He stepped in front of Daniel, effectively blocking the doorway to Daniel's room. "Where'd ya think you're goin'?"

Blue eyes glared exhaustedly back at him. "She's trashed, Cam…"

"Well, no shit."

"And she's already got sick twice…" Daniel continued like he hadn't been interrupted. "My room has the adjoinin' bathroom."

Cam placed an arm up on the doorframe and just glared. "I don't want her in here."

Eyes widening, Daniel felt anger flare in his chest. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means!" Cam spat, point a finger at him. "You take her out, liquor her up, and then bring back to your bed and have a good time with her…"

A hurt expression flashed across Daniel's face. "Jesus Christ, Cam! Do you really think I'm that much of a-"

"Daniel…" Vala whispered, her voice slightly panicked. He physically forced Cam out of the way, rushing into his bathroom. Daniel didn't even bother with the light, just made for the toilet and deposited Vala down in front of it in time. As she threw up for a third time, he swept back her hair.

Cam watched from the doorway, hand over his nose as the smell of regurgitated alcohol filled the small bathroom. "Geez, how much did she drink?"

Pulling in a deep breath, Daniel used his free hand to rub over Vala's back. "She 'bout inhaled a fifth of Jack on her own…"

"And you let her drink all that?" Cam asked incredulously.

Daniel turned an indignant frown on his surrogate brother. "I didn't _let_ her do it – she did it all on her own. I tried to tell her to slow down, but she just kept goin'…"

"Why, did she want to make nice with the toilet?"

Having finished being sick, Vala flopped back against the wall. She wanted to tell them that _she_ was sitting right there and could answer for her own actions, but Vala found she just didn't have the energy to talk. She let her head drop forward and her eyes close, drowning out the conversation between the two men. She didn't know how long she sat like that, but a sudden cool touch to her face had her flinching in surprise.

"Sorry…" Daniel whispered with a grimace as he cleaned her face with a washcloth.

Vala cast a bleary look towards the wavering doorway, noticing Cameron was gone. "Where'd go?"

Standing up to rinse the cloth, Daniel looked at her reflection through the mirror. "Cam went to get the blankets and pillows off your bed…" He rang out the washcloth, and squatted back down before her.

"Why?" Vala asked in drunken confusion as he went back to wiping her face.

Daniel stopped his ministrations, and used his free hand to cup her chin and bring her unsteady focus on him. "Because you are very drunk, Vala, and that's going to make you very sick, so we're gonna sleep in the bathroom tonight."

She blinked. "Oh…" Her face contorted a little. "I did drink 'lot…"

Daniel laughed a little. "Yes, you did…"

"I was jus' upset for Janed…" Vala's eyes were wide as if she was just making the realization herself.

"I know you were, hunny…" Daniel looked up as Cam came to stand in the doorway, arms laden with a comforter and several pillows. He nodded, tossing the washcloth onto the counter, and Cam crammed himself into the small space.

"An' for myself." Vala whispered as the two men moved to maneuver her onto the comforter. Cam stilled in his task, looking at her in surprise for moment. He turned it on Daniel when he realized the man hadn't even blinked an eye at the words.

"Like I said…" Daniel leaned over her, now cocooned in her blanket. "Nothin' like that will ever happen to you again."

Vala smiled dopily. "Ya gonna kiss me ag'in?" She plucked her hand out from under the cover and ran a finger along his bottom lip.

Again, Cam's eyes found Daniel. And again, Daniel ignored him.

"Not this time, Vala." Daniel took her hand and moved it away from his face. As she frowned, he leaned down and kissed her fingertips. "Maybe when you're sober…"

"Then I beder ged sober…" She whispered, letting her eyes fall shut.

When he was sure she was really out for good, Cam grabbed Daniel by the shoulder and rammed him hard again the counter.

"What the fuck-" Daniel gasped, one hand on Cam's wrist. He looked up, shocked, at his long time friend.

Cameron's eyes bore into him. "You _kissed_ her?!"

"What the fuck does it matter to you?!" Daniel's fingers dug into the wrist still pinning him painfully to the counter. "Vala's a grown woman!" He gasped as Cam pushed him back harder.

"And you're just a wild teenager in a young man's body!" Cam spat. "You seduce women and you play with them, then you leave them when you're done with them! I know you, man – and you're gonna hurt her!"

The energy he hadn't felt before came in a surge of anger, and Daniel quickly had Cam pushed back against the opposite wall with his body.

"This whole brotherly protector shit is all noble and everything…" Daniel whispered dangerously. "But you, Cameron, need to back the fuck up, alright?"

Cameron fidgeted under the scrutiny. "Daniel, can you blame me? Am I wrong about the way you are with women? I know you've been hurt before, but am I wrong about the hurt you do now?"

The energy quickly ebbed and Daniel fell back to the floor. He flopped back, exhausted, against the counter. The two men sat staring at one another, legs touching in the cramped space, for a long time.

"No…" Daniel finally said on a tired sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "You're not wrong." He let his head flop forward. "I know I haven't given you any reason to trust her with me, but I'm asking now…" Blue eyes came up to meet blue. "Please, just… It's different this time, alright?"

"How's it different?" Cam asked quietly, already feeling bad for accusing his best friend, even if Daniel has admitted he was right.

Daniel looked to Vala, whose mouth was slightly ajar. Her face was swollen and puffy from crying, nose red from that and drinking, and even from the small distance, he could still smell the alcohol on her breath. She looked a complete and utter mess.

With a helpless look, he turned his attention back to Cam.

"'Cause I love her." He whispered with a slight shrug.

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	7. Confessions

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed this fic so far, and encouraged and pushed for more! XD**

**Confessions**

Cameron watched Daniel from over the edge of his beer bottle. It hurt to see his best friend looking so damn confused and wounded watching her laugh and flirt with the group of guys that were essentially their competition in town.

Here he'd been worried about Daniel hurting Vala – but it turned out things were heading in the completely opposite direction. And Cam definitely didn't like those odds any better than he'd liked the first.

"I… I just don't get it, Cam…" Daniel mumbled, questioning blue eyes turning his way. The usual light, the slight haze of alcohol that usually filled the orbs after spending the evening in Stoley's, were both blatantly absent. It stung Cam in an unexplainable way. Vala was inadvertently sucking the vibrancy out of his friend.

"Two weeks…" Daniel continued, unaware to Cam's internal mishmash of thoughts. "It's been two weeks since…since I kissed her." He laughed a little, running a long finger over the top of his glass of water. "And I _really _kissed her, too…"

Cam rested his bottle on the table top, and rested his arms down as well. "Daniel, man, Vala was completely wasted that night. I doubt she-"

"I know she remembers, Cam!" Daniel whispered desperately, leaning in slightly across the high-top table. "I can see it in the way she looks at me; tell by the way she's been avoidin' me like some damn disease!"

He flopped back in his chair. "I don't know what I did wrong…" Daniel brought his gaze back around to look at Vala, who was leaning in disgustingly close to Bobby Anderson. If he hated that man before, he sure as hell despised him now.

Cam tapped his fingers on his arm, and followed Daniel's line of sight. Vala's obvious fake laugh carried across the makeshift dance floor and to their table. "Do you remember what you told me?"

A laugh brought Cam's eyes back around to Daniel's. For the first time since the night in the bathroom, humor played across his face.

"You're gonna hav'ta be a little more specific – we've known each other…" Daniel sipped his water, wishing for a beer but fighting the urge. "Oh…since birth?"

Rolling his eyes, Cam took a sip from his bottle. "I meant the night in the bathroom, when Vala was-"

Daniel's hand came up. "I know the night…" There was a long pause as he pulled in a deep breath. "And yes," He sighed out, dropping his hand. "I remember."

Cameron nodded. "Alright, so you told me…" He flicked his gaze in the direction of Vala. "But did you tell her?"

"Cam, I can't tell her-"

"And why not?" Cam pried, leaning across the table. "Ya asked me to trust you with her, right?" As Daniel nodded, Cam nodded again. "Well, this is me givin' you that trust. Go talk to her and tell her how ya feel!"

Daniel swallowed, dropping his gaze to his water. "She doesn't even want to be near me, let alone talk to me…"

A hand on top of his circling the glass had him looking up once more. "Then you go to her and make her listen." Cam said fiercely, giving Daniel's hand a squeeze. "I hate watchin' her hurt you just as much as if it were reversed."

"She's not hurting me, Cam." Daniel sighed, extracting his hand and glass from his best friend's grip.

"Bullshit!" Cam's whispered rebuke was harsh. He practically slammed his beer down on the table and held out his free hand in Daniel's general direction. "Look at you, man. You're sittin' here mopin' over a glass of_ water_." The glare Daniel gave him didn't stop Cameron from pushing on. "If this ain't hurt, then where's the Daniel Jackson that I've known all my life…"

Picking up his glass of water, Daniel continued to glare. "Maybe I've grown up." He muttered before taking a drink.

Cameron pointed his finger. "That's _bullshit_ too."

"Fine!" Daniel was the one to slam his drink onto the table this time. "You want me to go talk to her – confess my undyin' and completely maddenin' love to her?" Even angry, he was able to keep his voice at a low level.

"That's exactly what I want you to do." Cam agreed. "You need to learn to take that extra step, Daniel. It's time you really _did_ grow up."

Pushing back his chair, Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe I'm gettin' a maturity talk from _you_." Though his words seemed mean, the slight smile he fought to hide was a sign he wasn't intending them to be. He moved around the table to Cam's side and stopped to watch Vala once more.

Cam reached up and gave his brother by proxy a pat on the shoulder. "Just stop thinkin' and go for it."

"Easier said than done." Daniel admitted, looking at Cameron nervously. When Cam just stared at him unwaveringly, Daniel let out a long sigh. "Alright…" He returned his gaze in Vala's direction, and then reluctantly began to make a slow walk in her direction.

She really hadn't been standing _too_ far from where he'd been sitting, but Daniel deliberately kept his pace slow. Despite what Cam had advised, he just couldn't stop thinking about what he was about to do. Never in his life had he felt so out of place, nervous about what could become of the relationship with Vala. As much as he hated thinking all possibilities of something more than friendship were out of the question, the idea of not being friends with Vala at all because of some stupid mistake made Daniel nauseous.

With each step, Vala got closer and Daniel's thoughts got more erratic. What would he say? Surely whatever he said, all the guys that now seemed to encircle her would laugh or comment. Normally, Daniel would just take it in stride and outwit them. But with his heart on the line, would he be able to step up what was usually an easy, and welcome, challenge?

He could ask her to go outside; take a walk and confess to her the feelings that had been eating him alive for almost a month. But would she actually go? Like he'd told Cam, Vala had been avoiding him in every way possible. It was such a drastic change from when she'd first moved to their town that just the idea of asking her anything made Daniel insecure. It was a whole new feeling to him...

Now just a few feet back from the gaggle of desperate men that surrounded Vala, Daniel took a moment to compose himself. He tried to focus his thoughts, pinpoint on exactly what he needed to say. He willed his expression to hide every bit of anxiety he was feeling in regards to her…

The raucous laughter of the testosterone pileup had Daniel focusing less on himself and more on what was directly before him. The guys had all seemed to close in, pretty much obscuring his view of Vala. But he could still hear her, even through the cackling of drunken rednecks.

"Okay, easy now… I didn't say you could touch me like…" Her words made his breathing quicken. All anxiousness was quickly being superseded by jealousy and a protectiveness Daniel had never felt for anyone else. His hands formed into fists at his side, but he didn't move. Vala could handle herself, and he was sure she wouldn't appreciate him barging in out of context.

"Hey!"

All control was lost at her angered shout and Daniel shot forward. He shoved his way through the crowd of guys, ignoring their belligerent curses. Finally breaking through to the center, Daniel had to fight back a growl at the sight of Bobby Anderson squeezing a struggling Vala to his body, with one hand gripping tightly to her ass.

Daniel was over to them in a stride, yanking the obviously drunk man off of her. He threw him into the crowd, ignoring Bobby's unhappy shout and focusing on Vala instead.

"You alright?" He asked, gently gripping one of her shoulders. She nodded, not meeting his gaze as she scowled towards the floor. Daniel wasn't sure if it was because of what Bobby had done, his intrusion, or both.

"Where the fuck do you come off man!" Bobby's drunken slur was loud in Daniel's ear as he came up and grabbed his shoulder hard. Daniel tried his best to ignore the violent shaking Bobby was giving him, but it was hard. Even harder to drown out all the insults being shouted in his ear.

Rubbing his hand gently against her shoulder, Daniel tried to meet Vala's gaze. The memories of her ranting drunkenly about being mistreated were at the foremost of his thoughts. "You sure you're alright? Do you want to get out of here or some-"

Daniel was halted mid-sentence by a dull blow to his left cheek. He yelped, stumbling into Vala. Caught off guard by the sudden shift in momentum, he ended up slamming her back into the wooden railing. She was the one to yelp this time.

As quick as he was able to recover, Daniel pushed himself off of her. Their eyes locked, hers filled with anguish and fury, his apologetic and defensive. It seemed like lifetimes of things passed in the few seconds it took for Daniel to realize Bobby was coming at him again, evident by the sort of snarl getting louder. Vala heard it too, and shook her head minutely.

Never one to back down from a fight, Daniel nodded in contrast, just as minutely. He turned and swung his fist out just in time to connect with Bobby's jaw. There was a loud crack and Bobby stumbled back in surprise. When he recovered enough, he stood swaying in place and glared at Daniel.

"Jackson, you son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled, and Daniel suddenly realized the bar had gone quiet. "Can't you keep your dick out of just one woman? Does every piece of ass in this place have to be yours first?"

"Hey!" Daniel shouted back, shaking off the hand Vala had placed on his arm to keep him from answering. "She is _not_ a piece of ass! She is a woman who deserves respect, not to be manhandled by some sleazy, drunken _asshole!_"

Bobby snorted, swaggering forward a little bit. "Well ain't that the pot callin' the kettle black!" He waved his hand around the bar. "How many of these broads in here have you had, man? All of them, I'm pretty damn sure! So don't come off actin' all knight in shining armor for this one."

Daniel scowled as Bobby came to a swaying stop just before him.

"It's obvious she doesn't want you." The drunken man sneered, his whiskey laced breath warm on Daniel's face. "So why don't you back the fuck off and live with the fact that I'm better than you yet again."

Smiling a little, Daniel shook his head. "You didn't even graduate high school."

This didn't deter Bobby. "Yeah, well…" He laughed and leaned in closer to Daniel. "At least I know my place, Jackson. At least I'm not a freakin' genius too scared to go off and do something." His finger jabbed into Daniel's chest. "You are a pussy who is drinkin' and fuckin' his life away because you were abandoned by shit broads who _used _you for nothin' but a good fuck."

Rage clouded all other emotions, and Daniel flew at Bobby. The two men fell to the ground, grappling for the upper hand. It wasn't long before Daniel had it and he was pounding in Bobby's face with blind fury. And somehow, even after all the personal dirty laundry Bobby had brought up, it was his mistreating Vala that drove it.

"You…don't…fucking…touch…things…that…don't…belong…to…you!" He threw a punch between each word. Daniel was vaguely aware of people shouting around him, but the drive to mark his claim was strongest. Bobby thought he was better? Daniel would show him who was fucking best.

Too soon for his liking, a pair of strong arms was yanking him away from a cowering and bleeding Bobby. Daniel struggled against Cam, who was muttering for him to calm down. But he couldn't – he just couldn't. How could he let the prick get away with touching _his_ Vala? Her appearance in front of him, hands on his chest, only fueled his need to show her who was best for her. The fact she looked beyond pissed didn't register in Daniel's mind right then.

Straining against Cam's arm lock, Daniel leaned around Vala. "She's fuckin' mine, you lecherous bastard." A slender, yet powerful, grip on his face broke his gaze away from Bobby and right into furious grey eyes.

"Outside, now!" She whispered harshly, releasing his face with force. He noticed her nod to Cam, who began to pull him outside. Daniel didn't struggle much, but he refused to shut his mouth. There were a few more points he had to get across.

"You touch her again, and I'll kill you!" He shouted while being dragged, ignoring the stares from the entire bar. "You hear me, you piece of shit?! I'll fuckin' kill you!" That was all Daniel could get out before the door to Stoley's closed in front of him, and the sounds of the street and thunderstorm greeted him.

He was barely out of Cam's grip and turned to meet Vala when a hand connected with his already throbbing cheek, hard. Daniel yelped again, bringing a hand up to the wounded area. He blinked in surprise to the wet pavement, then up at Cam. His best friend held up his hands in a 'don't look at me' gesture, turned and headed back inside.

Still clutching at his cheek, Daniel looked up at Vala. She was panting, the raindrops pouring around her. They were practically glowing white in the harsh light of the street lamp.

"I am _not yours_, you arrogant asshole!" Vala said dangerously, pointing her finger at him. It was impossible to see tears in the rain, but Daniel could tell she was crying by the thick quality of her voice. "Don't you _ever_ fuckin' think I'm somethin' that needs to be claimed and defended!"

Daniel stepped out into the rain, holding his free hand out towards her. "Vala, I'm-"

She stepped back. "No!" Vala shook her head. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Daniel. You are just like every other man out there – you hurt women." The words alone stung more than her slap had, and Daniel reacted the only way he'd ever known how. He began to get angry. It only intensified as she turned and began stalking down the sidewalk.

Dropping his hand from his cheek, he followed. "I have _never_ hurt a woman like Bobby has, and I've certainly never touched _you_ like he was doing in there!" He pointed angrily to the bar now shrinking behind them.

Vala crossed her arms, shaking her head again. "You don't hav'ta hit a woman to hurt her." Her voice was angry and condescending, like she was talking to an ignorant child. "And I refuse to let any man treat me like shit any more, whether it be physical or mental."

"I don't _do_ that, Vala." Daniel's anger morphed into desperation and possible denial. It hurt that she was seeing him the way almost everyone in town saw him. He'd tried to show her what he was _really_ like – that he was a good person.

"Give me a break, Daniel!" Vala shouted, stopping in her tracks and whirling on him. Daniel froze as well, thrown by her outburst. "Do you think I know nothin' about what you're like? You think I don't know 'bout your two week affairs and drunken one night stands?" She screamed at him, looking hurt and betrayed. "I've heard _all_ the stories, and I've come to realize you are no different than Bobby Anderson!"

Anger returned at the comment. "Then if I'm just like him, why were you flirtin' and puttin' yourself out there all night for him to salivate over?!" He asked on a shouting voice. It was likely they were drawing attention to themselves, shouting at each other in the rain.

Vala's face contorted a bit in pain. "Because it doesn't hurt as much to be with him then it does with you!" Her shout, the loudest thus far, was like a dagger shoved through his heart. He physically had to take a step back, like she'd hit him again.

She looked downright regretful for having to say it out loud. "I can't take being yours for two weeks, and then you movin' on. I'd rather just have a meaninless thing with Bobby then live through somethin' with you which would turn in to nothin' down the line. I won't be that girl."

"I…" Daniel found he didn't have it in him to shout anymore, and lowered his voice considerably. "I won't do that to you, Vala." He said softly, stepping closer to her again.

"You would." The anger was gone from her voice, replaced with what seemed like cold, hard logic. It stung that she seemed so certain of his future actions. Had he really become that much of predictable jerk? "You always have, and you always will."

Daniel took another step closer, just a couple feet from her now. "You're wrong."

She let out a huff of air, and looked at him with shining eyes through the rain. "Am I, Daniel? Am I really that wrong, or are you just denyin' the truth in some vain hope to get with me? I mean, I'm flattered you're tryin' _so hard_, but is it healthy at all to do this to ourselv-"

"Since that first day you got here," He interrupted her. Standing directly in front of her, Daniel stared down into Vala's eyes. "I've seen nothin' but you. Any old flame, any could be girl hasn't held a torch to you. For months now, you've been achingly bright and beautiful in my life, and I'm like a moth to your flame."

Vala closed her eyes, her lips trembling. "Daniel, please-"

Reaching up, Daniel cupped her cheek. "I know I have a history, and I know you're sure you'll be like all the rest. But you're wrong to be so sure, Vala." He rubbed his thumb against her chilled skin. "There's somethin' different here with you."

Opening her eyes, Vala's voice was a mere whisper as she spoke. "And what's so different?"

Daniel stopped thinking then, leaning his lips down to press them gently to Vala's. Unlike their first kiss, this one was tender and sweet. Through such an intimate connection, Daniel could practically feel the rest of her defenses shattering. He was exposing her to the world. So he pulled back, fearing she wasn't ready to let him protect her. Even if it's what he wanted most in his simple world, he'd let her decide the final verdict.

There was just one last plea he had to put forth.

"I love you." He whispered, barely audible through the downpour.

Vala stared at him, her mouth falling open the slightest bit at the admission. Then she smiled shakily, finally uncrossing her arms and locking them tight around Daniel's neck. Her laugh against his neck was weak and emotional.

"I love you too." She whispered back.

Daniel wrapped his arms tightly around her slender form, squeezing her snug against him. He brought one hand up and placed it against her soaked hair, nuzzling his nose into her right temple. It didn't take long for the overwhelming joy to take hold, and Daniel laughed triumphantly. He adjusted his grip on her and spun Vala around in the rain.

She laughed along with him, equally caught up in the moment as he was. For the first time since that night in Daniel's bathroom, there wasn't any tension or awkwardness between them. They were back to being friends. More than that, they'd just taken the first step into something greater than friendship.

Daniel brought the spinning to a halt then, placing Vala back on the ground. Before she could completely regain her equilibrium, he cupped her face and kissed her again. It was a little more urgent this time, but nowhere near the sexually frustrated kiss in the jail cell. Vala laughed into his mouth, wrapping one arm around his neck and trying to pull herself even closer to him.

A bright flash of lightning, immediately followed by the roar of thunder, had them pulling apart for a second time. Both looked towards the sky, blinking against the onslaught of raindrops.

"Guess we should head back inside, huh." Vala spoke first, bringing her attention back to Daniel. He was still staring at the sky, his throat exposed to her openly like an unconscious open invitation. She reached up and lightly trailed her fingers down the skin there.

He smiled and brought his gaze down to hers. "Actually…let's get out of here." Daniel took her hand and began to lead her back towards the bar, where his truck was parked right outside the door. "We'll give them fodder to feed off of for at least a week."

"Sounds good to me." Vala grinned, wrapping her arm around his and walking beside him as he led the way.

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**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


	8. Interruptions

**So how many were impressed by my rather speedy review responses to the last batch of fics I posted?? LoL! I'm gonna try and keep up with them from now on, I swear! But in case I don't, you guys know I always appreciate reviews and feedback, so just keep them coming! ;D**

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**Interruptions**

The dull thud of raindrops had grown to a constant drumming against the window over the bed, but Vala realized it was the absence of Daniel next to her that had woken her up. She pushed herself up on one arm, drawing the comforter to her chest with the other.

"Daniel?" She called out softly. When no response came, Vala shifted off the bed. Releasing her grip on the comforter, she stepped over to Daniel's dresser. She pulled open the second drawer down and tugged out a t-shirt.

Vala slipped it on and headed out the bedroom door. The hallway was half illuminated by the light over the kitchen stove, so she figured that's where Daniel had snuck off to.

Stepping out from the hallway, she stopped when she saw him. Leaning down against the counter on his elbows, Daniel had his back to her. And even in the poor orange light, Vala could see the definition of his muscles under bronzed skin. Her eyes trailed down his back, to where the edge of his pajama pants clung to his hips. From the angle he was standing at, Vala was getting a rather spectacular view of Daniel's ass.

The sensation of having such a toned and hardened body under her fingertips just a few hours before came back. The remembered feeling of having his muscles work beneath her desperate grasp while he'd thrust into her was an intoxicating thing, and Vala had to lean against the wall to keep from swaying.

She now understood why all those women who'd claimed to have had him practically drooled when he'd walk by. Daniel was definitely very skilled when it came to the bedroom two step. Hell, she'd had him one time and she was already fantasizing over the experience.

And Vala felt a part of her, at least, should be feeling trashy now that she was another one of those women. Daniel had her in his bed just a half hour after confessing his love for her, and now she was barely concealing herself with one of his shirts…

But she knew this was different. Daniel had been so hesitant to take her, prolonging the foreplay and kissing in an attempt to show it wasn't just about the sex. When he'd finally gotten down to business and pushed inside her, Daniel had kept the rhythm slow and steady. It wasn't just a fuck, but love-making. Something Vala could tell he hadn't done in a very long time.

The thought made her smile dopily. She wasn't _just another_ to him, and he'd done so well to prove it in the hours since the incident at the bar.

"You gonna stand there all night?" Vala finally called out to him, making Daniel jump a fraction. When he looked over his shoulder at her, she grinned. "Not that the view is bad or anythin' like that."

A smile came slowly, but his eyes looked a little guilty. "Did I wake you? I was tryin' to be quiet."

Vala pushed off the wall, shaking her head. "You were plenty quiet." She began to casually make her way over to him. "It was the fact that you weren't in bed anymore that woke me." Stopping behind him, she ran a hand up and down his back. "What're you doin' out here anyways?"

"Uh, well…" Daniel shifted so he was facing her, his back pressed against the counter. That's when Vala finally noticed the ice pack he was holding to his cheek. He gave her an almost embarrassed look. "Nursin' my wound?"

Her grey eyes widened at remembering the punch he'd taken. "Oh Daniel, I forgot about that!" She stepped up tight against his chest, pulling his hand and the ice pack away to examine his face. "Damn, that's nasty lookin'." Her fingers ghosted over the purplish bruise.

Daniel winced even though her touch was feather light. Vala pulled her hand away. "Guess Bobby can throw a hell of a punch, drunk and all, huh?" When his blue eyes just continued to watch her, she gave a faulty smile. "I s'pose the slap I gave you didn't help much either."

As Vala eased his hand holding the pack back to his cheek, her other hand fingering the hair around his right ear, Daniel gave her the most pitiful gaze.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, the embarrassment clear as day now.

Vala frowned. "Whatever for?"

Taking her hand toying with his hair, Daniel gazed down at it shamefully. "I made a fool outta myself tonight." He softly stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. "I embarrassed you in front of everyone. I lost my temper and it hurt you."

He laughed nervously. "One helluva way to start off bein' your guy."

Heart fluttering at the 'your guy' part, Vala couldn't help but smile at the adorable nature of the man before her. For everyone to see, he was the tough redneck. But she'd already seen another side of Daniel – the tender, repenting man who wanted to love but had never had the right person to do it with.

Vala was aware now that he was hoping she was the right person. She hoped she was too.

"So it wasn't all poetic or anythin'…" She admitted to him, pulling her hand from his grasp. Placing her fingers under his chin, Vala tilted his gaze up to meet hers. "But it was enough. I'm here, ain't I?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, but…"

Her finger was at his lips, quieting him. "No buts. If I hadn't found it to be enough and didn't want to be here, doin' what we did tonight, I wouldn't've left with you." Vala smiled again, shrugging. "And to be quite honest with you, if I hadn't been so damn pissed, I'd have found it to be romantic."

A grin fought to break free across Daniel's face – or at least the half she could see. "You find me beatin' a man senseless romantic?"

"You could've used some different wordin', and it definitely wasn't any Shakespeare." Vala informed him, trying to sound as serious as possible. "But yeah…" She nodded. "Yeah, it was romantic. I mean, you were defendin' my honor."

Daniel wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him. "I _really_ didn't like what he was sayin' 'bout you. To imply you're just like all those others…" Pulling the ice pack away from his face, he leaned in to kiss her. "Stupid prick." He muttered against her lips.

Hoping to get his thoughts off Bobby and the events at the bar, Vala deepened the kiss and wrapped an arm around his neck. She grinned against him when the sound of the ice pack hitting the floor erupted through the kitchen, followed by his hand working up her back, under the shirt she'd borrowed.

He easily maneuvered her around so her back was to the counter, and then brought his hands to her hips. Vala let him hoist her onto of the cool surface, wrapping her legs around his upper thighs. All the while, they continued to kiss and nip at each other's lips.

Things were starting to heat up, one of Daniel's hands sliding up the inside of her thigh, when the front door flew open. Still wrapped up in each other, the two didn't notice Cameron had been the one to barge in until-

"Hey gu- whoa!" His shout of surprise echoed around the kitchen and living room, and startled Daniel and Vala from their kissing. They looked at him in bewilderment.

Holding one hand over his eyes, Cam waved in their general direction. "Y'all two need to warn a guy!"

Daniel pulled Vala down from the counter, glaring at his friend. "And you need to stop just bustin' into this house… especially now."

"Now what?" Cam's hand fell away and he looked at them with curiosity. When Daniel wrapped an arm around Vala's waist, drawing her back against his chest possessively, it clicked. "Oh, so I'm guessin' you two've…" He grinned and nodded.

Blue eyes stared daggers at Cameron. "That's none of your business."

"Well, it's my house too…" Cam challenged with an even bigger grin, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Vala spoke up before Daniel had a chance to let his temper free again. It was obvious their friend had continued to partake in the festivities after they'd left, and Cam wasn't a very observant drunk. "Is there a reason you've barged in and interrupted us?" She knew it was a little more edgy than he deserved, but he _had_ interrupted what she was sure would've been another memorable moment.

"Actually, yes there-" Cam looked at her, and then _really_ looked at her. His slightly unfocused blue eyes raked up and down her semi-naked body. "Damn, cowgirl…you've sure got-"

"Why are you here, Cam?" Daniel's voice was loud and annoyed as he tugged Vala behind him. She had to press her face into his back to keep from giggling. It was actually quite amusing to watch Daniel get territorial with Cameron… a drunken Cameron.

Dripping wet from the downpour outside, Cam stepped closer to them. All humor was gone from his face. "He's on his way into town. Sam said she saw him while on her way back to Stoley's from Shelby."

He stopped right in front of them. "Roland's back."

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